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ETFO Awards

ETFO Awards recognize individuals, groups, and ETFO locals for their distinguished achievements and outstanding contributions to education and the Federation in a number of categories.

ETFO Award Listing

How to apply


The application period opens in October and ends February 1 each year. Applicants can expect to hear regarding the disposition of the award after June 30.


The scholarships and bursaries window is open between the end of January and April 30. More information on is available at this link: scholarships and bursaries.

This award may be offered to an active ETFO member or group of members who develop and teach units and/or incorporate practices that work toward the elimination of bias. The recipient shall receive $500 and a Certificate of Recognition from the president.

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ETFO may grant one Anti-Poverty Award to an active ETFO member or group of members who have given outstanding service to supporting anti-poverty initiatives in their school and/or broader community. The recipient shall receive $500 and a Certificate of Recognition from the president.

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This award may be offered to an active ETFO member or group of members to recognize active involvement in anti-racist and equity activism in the classroom or community. The recipient shall receive $500 and a Certificate of Recognition. Up to two awards may be given each year.

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This award may be offered to an active ETFO woman member to recognize active involvement in anti-racist and equity activism in the classroom or community. The recipient shall receive $500 and a Certificate of Recognition. Up to two awards may be given each year.

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One award may be presented to an active member(s) of ETFO to recognize involvement in arts and cultural activities for children in either the classroom or community. The recipient shall receive $500 and a Certificate of Recognition from the president.

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The Children’s Literature Award may be presented to an active ETFO member or an individual or group of individuals who do not hold ETFO membership, and who write a specific piece of published children’s literature appropriate for elementary school-age children. This award is intended to recognize quality children’s literature that is in keeping with ETFO’s positions on social justice and equity.

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This award may be granted to an active ETFO member to recognize their outstanding commitment to the care and protection of the environment. The recipient shall receive $500 and a Certificate of Recognition from the president.

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The Faculty of Education Award is offered annually to a student at a faculty or school of education at a publicly funded university/institution in Ontario, during the final year of their teacher training. Only one individual at each of the publicly funded faculties of education in Ontario may be chosen annually for this award. Up to 17 awards of $500 and a Certificate of Recognition may be granted. This award is not intended to support a master’s or doctorate program.

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This award may be presented to an active member of ETFO to recognize their outstanding commitment and involvement in health and safety activities. The recipient shall receive a recognition award and be invited to a luncheon and awards ceremony at ETFO’s Annual Meeting.

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The Honorary Life Membership Award may be granted to an ETFO member who has given outstanding service to the Federation at the provincial level, and who has been retired from the education profession for one full calendar year prior to the February 1 award nomination deadline. Members who serve as ETFO provincial President are automatically granted the award at the Annual Meeting following the last year of their term as President. Recipient(s) are honoured at the Annual Meeting, given an ETFO pin, and extended the rights and privileges of being an honorary life member. 

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This award may be granted each year to an active ETFO member who has given outstanding service to supporting children in the global community. The recipient shall receive a donation of $500 to further the work being acknowledged by ETFO and receive a Certificate of Recognition from the president.

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This award may be granted each year to an individual or a group of individuals who do not hold ETFO membership, but have given outstanding service to supporting children in the global community. The recipient shall receive a donation of $500 to further the work being acknowledged by ETFO and a Certificate of Recognition from the president.

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This award may be granted each year to an individual or a group of individuals who do not hold ETFO membership but have given outstanding service to supporting children in the local community. The recipient shall receive a donation of $500 to further the work being acknowledged by ETFO and a Certificate of Recognition from the president.

CLICK HERE TO APPLY.

This award may be granted each year to an active ETFO member who has given outstanding service to supporting children in the local community. The recipient shall receive a donation of $500 to further the work being acknowledged by ETFO and receive a Certificate of Recognition from the president.

CLICK HERE TO APPLY.

This award recognizes the excellence of ETFO locals at engaging and involving members. Outstanding service to members and innovative strategies to communicate with and involve members in the Federation are celebrated by this award. This award will be presented to the local following an awards luncheon, to which the president and up to two guests are invited, at an awards ceremony during the Annual Meeting. Up to two awards may be given each year.

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The New Member Award recognizes a member of ETFO with five years or less membership who has shown a commitment to the Objects of ETFO, and been significantly involved at the local and/or provincial level of the organization. The recipient shall receive a recognition award and be invited to a luncheon and awards ceremony at the Annual Meeting.

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This award may be offered annually to an active ETFO woman member who has been an outstanding role model for women at the local level during the previous school year. The recipient shall receive a recognition award and be invited to a luncheon and awards presentation at the Annual Meeting.

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This award recognizes an ETFO member’s outstanding commitment to union activism. The recipient shall receive a recognition award and be invited to a luncheon and awards ceremony at the Annual Meeting. ETFO may grant one award each year.

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One award may be presented to an active ETFO member or members to recognize a curriculum unit, resource, etc. that they have developed. The recipient shall receive $500 and a Certificate of Recognition from the president.

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One award may be presented to an active ETFO woman member or a group of women members to recognize a curriculum unit, resource, etc. that they have developed. The recipient shall receive $500 and a Certificate of Recognition from the president.

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One award may be offered to an active ETFO member or group of members or to an individual, or group of individuals, who do not hold ETFO membership, who develop materials and/or incorporate practices that work toward the inclusion of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning, and two-spirit realities. The recipient shall receive $500 and a Certificate of Recognition from the president.

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This award may be presented as an incentive for active ETFO women members to produce innovative educational materials related to science and technology. The recipient shall receive $500 and a Certificate of Recognition from the president.

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This award may be granted each year by ETFO to an individual woman or a group of women who do not hold ETFO membership but have been outstanding social activists on behalf of women and children in the local or global community. Up to two awards of $2,500 and a Certificate of Recognition may be granted to the recipient(s).

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This award may be presented to an active ETFO member or a group of members to recognize published or unpublished works. The recipient shall receive $500 and a Certificate of Recognition from the president.

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This award may be presented to an active ETFO woman or a group of women members to recognize published or unpublished works. The recipient shall receive $500 and a Certificate of Recognition from the president.

CLICK HERE TO APPLY.