New Westminster Secondary School Teacher and Science Ninja Sensei Wins Prime Minister’s Award
New Westminster, B.C. – New Westminster Secondary School science teacher Darren Ng’s passion for science and teaching received recognition from the Prime Minister’s Awards (PMA) office on June 12 when he was bestowed with a Certificate of Achievement in Teaching Excellence in STEM.
“I feel very honoured and humbled,” said Ng, who has taught in the New Westminster school district since October 2018. “I’m extremely grateful to my students – we wouldn’t be here as educators without you – and my fellow teachers for their friendship and support.”
Ng is the sole Certificate of Achievement in Teaching Excellence in STEM recipient in British Columbia and one of 17 teachers nationwide celebrated by the PMA for their contributions to education within their province and across Canada.
To be selected for an award means the PMA committee found clear evidence a nominee excelled in five areas:
- Digital and creative literacy in the classroom.
- Innovative and exemplary teaching practices.
- Support student success and skills development.
- Global citizenship and community involvement.
- Commitment and leadership.
In addition to his regular teaching duties, Ng leads an after-school club called, “The Science Ninjas” where students engage in hands-on activities and experiments designed to explore basic scientific principles. Ng, together with his education assistant, Lauren Davis, have worked together for five years as co-instructors. It was Davis who championed the effort to nominate him for the award and put in the work required to submit his name for consideration.
“We – myself and our students – know Darren is an excellent teacher,” Davis said. “I felt everybody else should know that, including not only our school, but our greater community.”
Two other New Westminster Schools administrators joined Davis in submitting recommendations during the nomination process.
“What prompted me to nominate Darren was his passion and dedication to teaching,” said Patricia Pain, the district’s curriculum facilitator for mentorship and instructional practice. “He imprints good human qualities on his students and models what kindness is, what passion is, and what being someone’s champion looks like.”
“He’s an engaging educator,” said Miriam Schellenberg, vice principal at New Westminster Secondary School. “He goes above and beyond to support students of all abilities. I can count on him to include students of all abilities in his work. It was easy for me to help nominate Darren because he’s absolutely the type of person who deserves recognition for his achievements.”
The Prime Minister’s Awards for Teaching Excellence has honoured over 1,800 extraordinary elementary and secondary school teachers of all disciplines since 1994. The Certificate of Achievement in Teaching Excellence in STEM celebrates outstanding science, technology, engineering, and mathematics teachers who help develop innovation in Canada.
For more information about the Prime Minister’s Awards for Teaching Excellence, visit:
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Contact
Mike Lee
Communications Manager
P: 778-789-7172
M: communications@sd40.bc.ca