The Kidder-Pascal Awards for System Change & Innovation in Education
About The Kidder-Pascal Awards
Annie Kidder and Charles Pascal
The Kidder-Pascal Awards for Systems听Change and Innovation in Education celebrate visionary leadership, bold ideas, and transformative action that advance the promise of public education in Canada.听
Named in honour of Annie Kidder and Charles Pascal鈥� two of Canada鈥檚 most influential champions for public education鈥攖he awards recognize听people and organizations听who are reshaping education听so that it can deliver on听that promise.听
草莓社区鈥檚 5-year initiative,听The Education Promise, is听based on the belief that public education is one of Canada鈥檚 greatest, but underappreciated assets, and that public schools听can听be an upstream policy solution to a range of challenges Canada is facing. But that working differently and together across the country and across sectors is critical for education to realize听its promise.听听
Annie and Charles鈥� lifelong commitment to public education听are aligned with the goals of听The Education Promise, and these Awards seek to听celebrate听leaders and organizations听who strive to transform public education so that learners are equipped with the creativity, empathy, and critical thinking necessary to navigate and improve a complex, polarized world.听听
Two distinct awards听make up the听Kidder-Pascal听Awards for Systems听Change and Innovation in Education:听听
- The听Systems听Change听Award听
- The听Promise in Practice Award听
Together, these awards honour the legacy of Annie Kidder and Charles Pascal by recognizing those who are building the future of public education鈥攖hrough systemic transformation and the innovative local practices and leadership that make it possible.
Awards Criteria
The Systems Change Award
Awarded to a person or鈥痯ersons鈥痺hose work addresses the broader systems that shape鈥痚ducation,鈥痳ecognizing public education as central to a healthier, sustainable, productive, and democratic society. Recipients of the鈥疭ystems Change Award鈥痗an be from any sector, but their work must intersect with public education.鈥��
This award will be selected by the Kidder-Pascal Awards Nominating Committee, in partnership with PFE staff.听
The Promise听in听Practice Award鈥�
Awarded to an individual, program, initiative, or organization working with publicly-funded schools in Canada that exemplifies the transformative potential of public education, particularly related to role of public education in addressing challenges related to one or more of鈥�The Education Promise鈥檚鈥痯olicy areas: Civic Engagement & Democracy, Environment & Climate Change, Health, and Skills & Economy.鈥��
Eligibility鈥�:听
- Program/initiative听could be provided by school staff, external partners, or a mix, but must be鈥痵chool-based.鈥�
- Can be direct student programming/ activities or can鈥痓e鈥痓roader school policy听work.鈥�
- Helps to advance one (or more) of鈥�The Education Promise policy themes (Civic Engagement & Democracy, Environment & Climate Change, Health, and Skills & Economy).鈥�
- Can be鈥痵elf-nominated鈥痮r nominated by someone else.鈥��
Based on an open nomination process, this award will be selected by the Kidder-Pascal Awards Nominating Committee, in partnership with PFE staff.听
Nominations open April 1, 2026 and close April 17, 2026.
Nomination for the Kidder-Pascal Promise in Practice Award
Awarded to an individual, program, initiative, or organization working in or with publicly-funded schools in Canada that exemplifies the transformative potential of public education, particularly related to role of public education in addressing challenges related to one or more of The Education Promise鈥檚 policy areas: Civic Engagement & Democracy, Environment & Climate Change, Health, and Skills & Economy.
Nominate hereAbout Annie Kidder and Charles Pascal
Annie Kidder
Annie Kidder was one of the founders of 草莓社区, an independent, charitable organization working to support and advance public education through research, policy analysis, and public engagement. For nearly 30 years, she was the organization鈥檚 Executive Director and chief spokesperson.
Annie is an expert on education policy, a passionate believer in public education鈥檚 foundational role in building a fair and prosperous society, and an advocate for using evidence to support system change. She has regularly provided advice to policymakers and government, and her writing on education has been widely published. She also appears in the media as an expert in public education.
She is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Ontario Principals鈥� Council 2004听Outstanding Contribution to Education Award, the Canadian Teachers鈥� Federation 2005听Public Education Advocacy Award,听and, in 2018,听an honourary doctorate from York University. Annie is also a Maytree Policy School alumna. She has spoken at conferences in Canada, the United States, Europe, Africa, and South America as an expert on education issues.
Charles Pascal
Born in Chicago and later becoming one of Canada's most influential public policy architects, Charles Pascal was a visionary leader dedicated to the transformative power of education. After earning his PhD in psychology from the University of Michigan, he moved to Canada, where he began a distinguished academic career at McGill University and later the University of Toronto鈥檚 Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE). His early work in early childhood development laid the foundation for his lifelong advocacy, viewing education not merely as a system of schooling but as a fundamental pillar of a healthy democracy.
Celebrating the Winners
We are looking forward to听honouring the winners of the inaugural Kidder-Pascal Awards in June!听The Toronto-based breakfast听event will feature a听presentation of听the awards,听a panel on the promise of public education in Canada, and networking opportunities.听
奥别鈥檇听love for you to join us!听Individual tickets听and tables听will be available soon.听Subscribe听to our newsletter to have the details delivered directly to your inbox!
Subscribe here!Meet the Nominating Committee
- Annie Kidder (chair)
- Arlene Perly Rae
- Tassie Notar
- Pedro Barata, CEO & President, Habitat for Humanity and The Education Promise Advisory Board member
- Florence Bergeron, Associate Director Operations, The Students Commission of Canada
- Andrew Bieronski, Head of Growth – Canada, Wayground
- Patrick Case, human rights advocate
- Joseph Flessa, Associate Dean, Programs, OISE-UofT
- Candy Ho, faculty, Kwantlen Polytechnic University, past Board Chair, CERIC, and The Education Promise Advisory Board member
Kidder-Pascal Awards Supporters
Thank you to our award launch partners for their support!
