ATA expands Gold Medal program for education graduates

More of Alberta’s top graduating education students are now being recognized, thanks to changes to the Alberta Teachers’ Association (ATA) Gold Medal program.

For more than seven decades, ATA Gold Medals in Education have honoured outstanding bachelor of education graduates who demonstrated the highest overall proficiency in both course work and field experience. 

“These awards recognize the talent of up-and-coming leaders in the field of education and reinforce our public commitment to maintaining the highest standards of excellence in the profession,” said ATA president Jason Schilling.

Until recently, the prestigious medals were awarded only at the University of Lethbridge, the University of Calgary, the University of Alberta and Campus Saint-Jean. Although the number of teacher education programs in Alberta has tripled over the last 30 years, the high cost of producing the medals prevented the ATA from expanding the program.

That changed in December 2023, when the ATA’s Provincial Executive Council approved a recommendation to switch to lower-cost medals and add a cash award of $2,000 for each recipient. With this change, medals can now be awarded annually at every ATA-recognized teacher education program in the province. 

The new medals and cash awards were first presented in 2024 at the universities of Alberta, Calgary, Lethbridge and Campus Saint-Jean. At convocation ceremonies held in spring 2025, ATA Gold Medals in Education were presented at an additional nine post-secondary institutions across the province for the first time. 

Thanks to the change in medal composition, the expanded program not only costs less to administer but also creates an opportunity to acknowledge more graduates who will be entering the profession.

“Expanding the ATA’s Gold Medal program has allowed us to celebrate more of our new colleagues across the province as they enter the profession,” said Schilling. “I wish them all the best as they begin what will hopefully be long careers in public education in Alberta.” 

Recipients of the 2025 ATA Gold Medals in Education

Ambrose University — Davis Leong

Campus Saint-Jean — Nicole LaMer

Concordia University of Edmonton — Donny Hak

Keyano College — Raisa Stokes 

Mount Royal University — Jazmin Mcintosh

Medicine Hat College — Hailey Hoffart

Northwestern Polytechnic — Farah Hamad 

Red Deer Polytechnic — Haley Nelson

St. Mary’s University — Aria Bamford-Purcell

The King’s University — Bronwyn Miles

University of Alberta — Roxanne Bader

University of Calgary — Julie Lowry

University of Lethbridge — Madeleine Suggitt