Back in 1967, the founding faculty members of the University of Lethbridge’s Faculty of Education were probably too busy establishing the program to imagine what the next 50 years might bring.
Today’s faculty members know those early efforts have led to an education program that is nationally renowned and recognized for producing great teachers. To honour the work of those founding members, the Faculty of Education has established a student award. The Founding Faculty Awards will provide $500 per year to first-year Faculty of Education students, one in each of the 11 subject area majors starting in the fall of 2017. The award acknowledges the contributions of founding faculty members, Harold Skolrood, Arthur Loewen, Dorothy Lampard and Drs. Russell Leskiw (LLD ’93), Doug Petherbridge, Gordon Campbell and Aubrey Earl.
“These respected educators built a solid foundation for the Faculty of Education and it’s thanks to their efforts that we have one of the strongest education programs in the country,” says Faculty of Education Dean Dr. Craig Loewen, son of Art. “In establishing this scholarship, we wanted to honour their hard work and commitment to helping students become teachers of excellence and the educational leaders of tomorrow.”
The Faculty of Education has gone from having 297 students in the fall of 1967 to 719 students in the fall of 2016. The Faculty began offering graduate degrees in 1984 and a PhD program was added in the summer of 2016. Since 1968, the Faculty has conferred more than 10,000 Bachelor of Education degrees.
Anyone wishing to donate to these awards can find more information at uleth.ca/giving/make-gift.