An Aldergrove teacher was surprised after getting nominated for the Premier鈥檚 Awards for Excellence in Education.

R.E. Mountain Secondary School鈥檚 Balroop Dhanoa was recently invited to a ceremony at Government House in Victoria, where she was recognized as a finalist in the social equity and diversity category.

Premier John Horgan provided awards to the winners and recognized the 鈥渆xceptional鈥� work of teachers, support staff and administrators throughout the province, shared Ministry of Education and Child Care through a press release.

Dhanoa was among the 34 finalists who received a $1,000 taxable personal bursary for professional learning and a $1,000 contribution to their school community for professional education. The 28-year-old teacher plans on spending the money on books.

鈥淎s teachers, we are always trying to expand our thinking and add to our worldviews and perspectives by reading as much as we can. The social justice work we engage in is primarily anchored in the story, so we are eager to read, learn, and share more.鈥�

Though Dhanoa didn鈥檛 win, she said it was an honour even to be considered.

鈥淚 know how many amazing educators work just in my building alone, so I can barely wrap my head around the number of excellent teachers there are in the entire province.鈥�

Jennifer Koehler, the school鈥檚 vice principal, offered her support throughout the application process and even attended the ceremony in person with Dhanoa.

鈥淭he experience [in Victoria] was amazing and being able to share it with my mom was especially valuable since she has always fostered a love of learning and empathy in myself and my brothers.鈥�

She was also overwhelmed by the 鈥渒ind and generous鈥� support from students, who shared the news on social media and congratulated her with 鈥減ride.鈥�

鈥淚t honestly caught me off guard.鈥�

Jinder Sarowa, principal of R.E. Mountain Secondary School, later congratulated Dhanoa for her achievements and said: 鈥淢s. Dhanoa is one of our leaders who inspire colleagues and students. She works every day to ensure our students feel safe, valued and that they belong. Through her actions, we see how deeply she cares about our students. We are so proud to have her in our district.鈥�

Dhanoa has been teaching at R.E. Mountain as a social studies teacher for five years. A few years ago, Dhanoa and her colleagues saw a need for more 鈥渕eaningful and authentic conversations鈥� about issues of race and equity in the world.

It was at this time she started engaging students and staff in social justice work through staff book clubs, interactive gallery displays, cultural celebrations, student surveys, and more.

鈥淭he goal is to expand our understanding of our student population, and in doing so, expand our knowledge of the world.鈥�

She concluded by encouraging other teachers to have conversations about social equity and empower the voices of marginalized students.

鈥淭eachers have the power to shape young minds to be critical thinkers who are equipped with the tools and passion to be effective activists. Students should all have the confidence to be agents of change in both small and big ways in their homes, at work, and in the world.鈥�

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