“In a rapidly urbanizing world, are there advantages to living in rural areas? That’s the question a group of Manitoba students tackled during an innovative school project that has earned their teachers a 2022 Governor General’s History Award for Excellence in Teaching,” according to a media release.
“Carla Cooke and Tracey Salamondra of Hartney School in Hartney, Manitoba, wanted to break down barriers between their school and the community, and to show their students the advantages of growing up in a small agricultural community.
(Image – Carla Cooke – Submitted)
“Our goal was to connect students and the community through historical research and authentic writing, said Cooke and Salamondra. “We are honoured that our project was recognized, and we are excited to share the hard work of our students and community to bring local history to life.”
(Image – Tracey Salamondra – Submitted)
Cooke and Salamondra are among seven recipients of the Excellence in Teaching Award. The teachers will share a $2,500 prize. In addition, their school will receive a $1,000 prize.
They will receive their award from Her Excellency the Right Honourable Mary Simon, Governor General of Canada, at a special ceremony at the Citadel in Quebec City.
The teachers designed a cross-curricular, community-based project for their grade twelve students to investigate the histories of their rural community:
• In the first semester, their eight students worked closely with the nearby Elgin & District Historical Museum to learn about the process of creating history, including research skills, oral history, working with evidence and artifacts, and using the historical thinking concepts.
• To launch the project, students put out a public call to meet, interview, and collect stories from community members.
• In the second semester, students learned about the craft of storytelling. Selecting three stories they wanted to tell, the students wrote historical narratives using their original research and incorporating the diverse perspectives of their interviewees.
• In collaboration with the Whitewater Park Restoration Committee, the students’ stories were posted on interpretive panels throughout a new trail as part of the park’s expansion.
As students in a small rural community who do not often see their history reflected in their textbooks, the project provided an authentic opportunity for students to become local historians and to tell the stories that matter to them.
“With this award, we celebrate the extraordinary work of teachers who outdo themselves every day to shape our adults of tomorrow,” said Bob Cox, President and CEO of Canada’s History Society.
The award is administered by Canada’s History Society.”
