L.A. Matheson Secondary teacher wins two awards, nominated for third for social justice work
L.A. Matheson Secondary teacher Annie Ohana is the latest recipient of two awards for her social justice work, and is up for another at this year's YWCA Women of Distinction Awards.
One of L.A. Matheson Secondary’s most decorated teachers is the recipient of two more awards for her humanitarian and social justice efforts, and is also up for a third accolade from the YWCA.
Annie Ohana is one of 67 nominees in this year’s YWCA Women of Distinction Awards, in the Education, Training & Development category, recognizing women who inspire a passion for life-long learning and have made a significant and sustained difference in the community. She also recently received the BCTF Bob Rosen Award, a top honour for social justice, and the Dogwood Monarchist Society (DMS) Vancouver Humanitarian of the Year Award, for her work with the LGBTQ2+ community throughout the Lower Mainland.
“On behalf of the district, I would like to congratulate Annie for her outstanding work in and out of the classroom, teaching her students the importance of advocacy and social justice in the pursuit of equity,” said Superintendent Mark Pearmain. “Thank you for your ongoing work and support for our students – you make a tremendous impact on their lives every single day.”
Ohana said all three honours were a complete surprise.
“Dr. Jen Marchbank at SFU and Dr. Balbir Gurm at KPU decided to nominate me for the YWCA award – they’re both previous winners and the focus was on working within education with other community groups on issues related to women empowerment,” she said. “It’s really incredible just to be nominated.”
The DMS Vancouver award comes a year after serving as a Grand Marshal in the Vancouver Pride Parade, acknowledging her advocacy of SOGI (sexual orientation and gender identity) and queer rights, while the BCTF award recognizes her equity efforts for teachers and access to services.
Her YWCA nomination stems not only from her community advocacy, but from her work at L.A. Matheson with the school’s Mustang Justice program, which teaches students about social activism, as well as teaching materials and other school events such as the One Billion Rising campaign.
“The goal is to connect students with the outside world, with empowerment, with ways to build their skill sets in community,” she said, noting her efforts to have Mustang Justice collaborate with various community groups. “When we talk about these issues, they shouldn’t be discussed in a silo, they should be with groups already doing the work and working with them.
“It is awesome to see students make their school better, their community better, through the actions they’re taking, and they’re helping other people. There’s a feeling of contributing something and that you’re never too young to make a change.”
In addition to the Education, Training & Development award, Ohana has an opportunity to receive a second award from the YWCA based on votes: Each YWCA nominee is eligible to win the Connecting the Community Award, chosen by public vote, with a $10,000 donation courtesy of Scotiabank going towards a YWCA program of the winner’s choice. Ohana has chosen affordable housing for single mother-led families as her cause if selected to win by voters.
The public can cast their vote once every 24 hours, with additional votes on multiple devices. Voting is available until noon on April 12 and winners will be announced on May 9.
To see the nominees and vote for the Connecting the Community Award, click here. To learn more about the YWCA Women of Distinction Awards, click here.
Congratulations, Annie, on all of your accolades! And best of luck!
