Rossland educator honoured
By Rossland Telegraph
The Columbia Basin Environmental Education Network (CBEEN) has announced six winners of Awards of Excellence for their outstanding achievements in educating students and the public on environmental stewardship and sustainability.
Rossland’s Bridget O’Malley was one of them.
The press release announcing the awards included the nomination summary for her:
“Bridget O’Malley has been a driving force in outdoor and environmental education within School District 20 for many years, leaving a meaningful and enduring mark on students, colleagues, and the broader Columbia Basin educator community. She was instrumental in establishing the outdoor learning space and school garden at Rossland Summit School, where she has co-led an outdoor education prep program alongside teaching partner Laura Jackman and actively supported fellow teachers across the district in bringing learning outdoors.
“As a longstanding and integral member of the Kootenay Columbia Environmental Educators Network, Bridget has helped shape a regional culture of outdoor learning through her leadership, hosting, and collaboration. A generous and inspiring mentor, she has guided countless emerging educators through workshops, webinars, and hands-on experiences at the outdoor learning spaces she helped create. Her workshop “Puppets Sing” has been shared locally within SD 20, at the Classroom to Communities conference in Revelstoke, and most recently at the National Outdoor Learning Conference in Banff in 2024 – a testament to the reach and resonance of her work.
“Above all, Bridget’s warmth, enthusiasm, and deep love of the natural world have enriched the lives of countless students and motivated educators across the region to foster that same connection in their own classrooms and communities.”
The other award recipients were:
- Indigenous Educator – Mara Nelson (Ktunaxa Nation)
- Primary Teacher – Charlotte Soles (Castlegar)
- Community Educator– Graeme Lee Rowlands (Golden)
- Community Educator – Amy Cross (Cranbrook)
- Primary Teacher – Myia Malakoff (Castlegar)
