Lorrie Jess, ASBA Past President; Michael Liu, Dow Canada Public Affairs; and other award recipients.

Sherwood Park, AB. — Annually, the Alberta School Boards Association (ASBA) hosts an awards program, Friends of Education, to recognize and thank the many Alberta-based organizations that contribute to education in the community. This year, Elk Island Public Schools (EIPS) nominated Dow Canada in Fort Saskatchewan and at an event over this past weekend, the Division is pleased to announce Dow received the award for ASBA Zone 2/3.

Every year for the past two decades, Dow has made a significant financial and volunteer contributions to EIPS. The company provides $20,000 annually to maintain EIPS' Partners For Science program, an innovative science and technology program founded on the principle that students learn best by doing. The money allows EIPS to refurbish and distribute more than 900 science kits to elementary schools throughout the Division and Elk Island Catholic Schools.

In addition, this past year, Dow generously donated funds to support First Nations, ‎Métis and Inuit students, and offered many volunteer employees to enhance learning within EIPS classrooms. Other recent contributions include a $50,000 donation to the Partners In Education program to fund junior high STEM courses and the Career and Technology Foundations. It also provided $140,000 for curriculum resources.

“We are extremely grateful for the tremendous collaborative working relationship that exists between Dow and EIPS,” says Trina Boymook, Board Chair, EIPS. “Dow’s commitment to education directly contributes to the quality of learning across the Division and represents a shared interest in helping students achieve excellence.”

“We are honoured to be the recipient of this year’s Friends of Education Award for our zone,” says Catherine Costin, Alberta Operations Site Leader and Vice-President of Dow Canada. “Our support for innovative programs at Elk Island Public Schools reflects Dow’s commitment to developing tomorrow’s innovators, especially through investments in STEM education and diversity.”

The support provided by Dow provides students a huge advantage by enhancing student learning and mentorship, makes a lasting difference in schools, and has a lifelong impact. The results speak for themselves: EIPS students are more enthusiastic about the curriculum and achieve higher-than-average standings on the Provincial Achievement Tests.

Elk Island Public Schools is one of Alberta’s largest school divisions, serving approximately 17,125 students in 43 schools. We are proud to be an integral part of our communities, including Sherwood Park, Fort Saskatchewan, Vegreville, Strathcona and Lamont counties and the western portion of the County of Minburn.

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For more information contact:
Laura McNabb, Director, Communication Services, EIPS 780-417-8204 cell 780-405-4902