Kativik Ilisarniliriniq is proud to announce that Julie Brisson, one of our teachers from Jaanimmarik School, was selected as a finalist for the 2023 Governor General’s History Award for Excellence in Teaching!

Each year, 15 teachers across Canada are longlisted for the Governor General’s History Award for Excellence in Teaching. The finalists demonstrate the ability to create authentic learning experiences, to encourage historical research and critical thinking, to incorporate historical thinking concepts, and to take indigenous perspectives and worldviews into consideration.

It was her focus on philosophy in a historical context that caught the attention of the Selection Committee. Julie has been teaching philosophy for children for approximately 5 years, and was her final thesis while she worked towards her bachelor’s degree. “I find philosophy is a good tool to help mobilize youth and really confront ideas. In a way, the basis of philosophy is to encourage students to participate, to learn and to think”.

Julie’s methodology seems simple enough, initially. She uses different historical situations that she believes will spark a conversation and friendly debate among her students. An example of an event Julie uses is from 1955 when Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on the bus. On the one hand this act led to her arrest for civil disobedience since Rosa was breaking the law, on the other hand, it helped establish the bus segregation was unconstitutional and, ultimately inspired an entire generation of civil rights activists.

It is through these kinds of debates that Julie guides her students using a rubric of steps which include discussing facts, analyzing the ethical dimension of the historical events, creating a space for students to voice their opinions and ask questions,, imagining scenarios for which an equivalent event could happen today as well as how they could respond or react. Julie’s ultimate goal is for students to develop their own critical thinking skills in line with their own value systems, and giving them the tools they need to imagine concrete actions.

“It is very important for me to always use [historical] events that at the end of the day had a positive outcome, led to positive change, using pacifist methods. My goal is for my students to understand that their small actions have power, sharing their opinions has power, the power to change the world even just a little bit”.

Established in 1996, the 2023 Governor General’s History Award will award six recipients with $2,500 each, a $100 cash prize for their school and a trip for two to Ottawa to receive their award at the Governor General’s History Awards

We are so proud of you, Julie! At the time of publication the final six recipients had not yet been announced. For more information please visit Canada History