Mississauga teacher receives Prime Minister’s Award for Teaching Excellence in STEM

A Mississauga teacher is among the top educators across the country being honoured this year by the prime minister.

Daphne McMenemy is one of the 2022 recipients of the Prime Minister’s Award for Teaching Excellence in STEM.

She is being recognized with the regional Certificate of Achievement for her contribution to STEM education as an elementary educator, author and speaker.

This award celebrates science, technology, engineering or mathematics teachers who keep students engaged in STEM learning and who help develop the culture of innovation.

McMenemy teaches Grades 1 and 2 in math, language, social studies, science, arts and religion at St. Christopher Separate School.

‘It’s an incredible honour to be recognized on such a huge level for putting into practice every day everything I believe education to be. It is our responsibility as educators to give our learners experiences and opportunities to step outside their comfort zone and take those risks that allow them to discover their passion,” McMenemy said.

She has been an educator in Ontario for the past 17 years and uses digital technologies to foster creativity among students.

“Daphne is an innovator and a creator; she is passionate about what she believes and knows about teaching and learning and works daily to embody that in her interactions with others. She provides support, direction, guidance and learning opportunities wherever she can, which is the ultimate goal for all educators — to inspire others to be lifelong learners, to discover new experiences and to build on individual strengths,” said Andrea Milanetti, former principal at St. Christopher.

Using STEM, she helps students discover learning through computer science.

With creative exploration and inquiry, she helps them develop numeracy, literacy and computational thinking skills.

McMenemy is also the author of a picture book series aimed at teaching the importance of introducing students to coding and problem solving and teaching readers about women in STEM.

The Prime Minister’s Awards are offered annually at the national (Certificate of Excellence) and regional (Certificate of Achievement) levels for Teaching Excellence, Teaching Excellence in STEM and Excellence in Early Childhood Education.