School boards are eligible to receive Minister’s Education Leadership Recognition Awards (MELRA) if their annual results demonstrate significant improvement and/or very high achievement in any of the following categories:

• safe and caring schools;
• student learning opportunities;
• student learning achievement, for example: high school completion;
• preparation for lifelong learning, world of work, and citizenship;
• parental involvement;
• school improvement;
• healthful living, for example: physical education, health, nutrition;
• fine arts, for example: music, drama;
• practical arts, for example: Registered Apprenticeship Program, Career and Technology studies; and
• academic non-diploma exam courses, for example: second languages, religious studies, courses leading to a diploma exam such as Applied Math 10 and 20 or Pure Math 10 and 20.

MELRA recipients are being honoured by Alberta Education at five events throughout the province. Award recipients from in and around Calgary will be honoured by Janice Sarich, Parliamentary Assistant to Minister of Education and MLA for Edmonton-Decore on November 6 in Calgary at the Greenwood Inn at 10 a.m.

For more information about the MELRA celebrations and to view the 2009 award recipients by district and category, visit www.education.alberta.ca/ and scroll down to the spotlight section.

Alberta Education created the Minister’s leadership awards in collaboration with the Alberta School Boards Association, the Alberta School Councils’ Association, the Alberta School Business Officials Association, the College of Alberta School Superintendents, and the Alberta Teachers’ Association.

The Alberta government has a clear plan for a strong economic recovery. An important part of The Way Forward is maintaining support for programs and services Albertans need most, such as education, health care, and safe and vibrant communities. For more information on the plan visit Alberta.ca.