Olds resident Bev Toews is honoured to be in the running for a 2016 Red Deer and District Community Foundation Women of Excellence award.
As reported earlier by the Albertan, Toews, an educational assistant at Olds High School, has been nominated for innovation in education and training.
Four other women have also been nominated in that category. The Women of Excellence Awards gala will be held Wednesday, June 1 in Red Deer.
“I think it's pretty exciting. It's very nice of them to think of me,” she says.
Toews has a long history of spurring innovation in education. She has also been very involved in the community.
She was a driving force behind the decision to make Olds High School a UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) school.
The purpose of those schools is to educate students on issues related to UNESCO's goal to promote peace, understanding and respect for cultures around the world.
Toews also chairs Fair Trade Olds. The fair trade movement calls for people -- especially in developing countries – to get a better price for their products so they can move out of poverty and create their products in a sustainable way.
She sits on a Canadian Fair Trade Network board.
In addition, Toews is a member of the Chinook's Edge School Division indigenous education steering committee.
She has also sat on the Sustainable Olds Committee and served on the Business Attraction Retention and Expansion (BARE) committee.
In addition, Toews served on the board of Neighbourhood Place for about 15 years. That facility served as a place to fill community needs, including working with youth.
In 2013, Toews won the Stars of Alberta award for volunteerism. It's only given to six people in the province – two adults, two youth and two seniors. (Toews received one of the awards for adults).
"I think it's pretty exciting. It's very nice of them to think of me."BEV TOEWS
