The Leaders and Legends Awards

ELIGIBILITY

Nominees must be alumni or friends of the Institute. Individuals may be nominated in one award category only per year (find awards below). Self-nominations are not eligible. Unsuccessful nominations may be resubmitted for consideration in future years. The Selection Committee is not eligible to submit any nominations. Current members of the Selection Committee cannot be nominated for an award. If a member is nominated, they must resign from the Committee to ensure a fair and impartial process.

NOMINATORS

Nominations may be submitted by OISE faculty, staff, students, alumni and retirees.

SELECTION CRITERIA

Each nomination must be directed to one of the six award categories outlined in the dropdown menus below. Selection of recipients is based on a rigorous and equitable review process, administered by the OISE Leaders and Legends Awards Committee and the OISE Dean’s Office.

All award categories align with OISE’s mission and vision. OISE seeks to enhance the social, economic, political and cultural wellbeing of individuals and communities in Canada and globally through leadership in teaching, research and advocacy. OISE strives for excellence in academic programs, student experience, research and scholarship.

Successful nominees will exemplify OISE’s values and commitment in these areas.

Applicants: Please review the award categories/rubrics for important details in the dropdown menus further below.

NOMINATION PROCESS

1. Complete the Online Nomination Form (closed), ensuring that applications do not exceed maximums where noted.
    
2. You will be asked to provide two (2) letters of support from OISE community members (faculty, staff, students, alumni, retirees or friends) that clearly highlight the nominee’s contributions and fulfillment of the awards criteria as per the rubrics below. Each letter must not exceed 500 words.
    
3. Attach the nominee’s curriculum vitae.

Note: Nominators must complete the application package as outlined in the steps above and ensure the accuracy of the documents submitted. Nominees should be made aware of any applications in their name. 

• Nominations must be received by the deadline (more details soon). Only completed packages will be accepted. Please submit early.
• Together with the OISE Dean's Office, the Leaders and Legends Awards Committee ensures a transparent and equitable evaluation process. The Committee announce winners each spring.

Excellence Award

In recognition of the power of leadership, this award honours an individual who is committed to pursuing and achieving the highest levels of performance in their field.

Performance Competencies

• Pursues Excellence: Sets high standards of performance for self and others; self-imposes standards of excellence.
• Builds Trust: Interacts with others in a way that gives them confidence in one’s intentions and those of the OISE brand.
• Delivers Results: Establishes high goals for success and personal accomplishment; meets or exceeds those goals; conveys a sense of urgency and drives issues to closure.
• Building Partnerships: Identifies opportunities and takes action to build strategic relationships that will promote excellence in academic programs and/or research and scholarship.
• Promotes Diversity: Appreciates and leverages the capabilities, insights, and ideas of all individuals; works effectively with individuals of diverse style, ability, and motivation.
• Lives OISE Vision and Values: Demonstrates an understanding of local school/business unit’s vision and values, using them as a point of reference where appropriate. Keeps the vision and values at the forefront of decision-making and personal action.

OISE Mission and Themes

• Prepare scholars, teachers and other professional leaders to be equipped with the skills and global awareness required by an increasingly challenging and complex society, ready to influence policy and practice in their fields.
• Discover and mobilize knowledge through leading-edge research, pedagogical and technological innovation, creativity, and scholarship-driven local, national and international collaboration.
• Advance lifelong learning through innovative professional development programming and capacity building for educational change.
• Contribute to public policy dialogue regarding key societal issues.

Commitment to one or more OISE Themes – including excellence in education, research, scholarship and/or advocacy.

• Building our community: learning and leading from within;
• Commitment to Indigenization;
• Wellbeing and mental health;
• Equity, diversity and accessibility;
• Transformative and Innovative pedagogy;
• Building our impact: scholarship, collaboration and internationalization

Emerging Leader Award

This award recognizes an individual who has shown vision, initiative and great promise in inspiring and organizing positive change in their communities.

Performance Competencies

• Embraces a Growth Mindset: Embraces and models a growth mindset that aligns supports a strong career trajectory.
• Builds Trust: Interacts with others in a way that gives them confidence in one’s intentions and those of the OISE brand.
• Embraces Change: Actively identifies problems and opportunities for change and implements solutions where appropriate. Maintains effectiveness when experiencing major changes in work tasks or the work environment; adjusts effectively to work within new work structures, processes, requirements, or cultures.
• Continuous Learning: Actively identifies new areas for learning; regularly creates and takes advantage of learning opportunities; uses newly gained knowledge and skills to benefit themselves, the field of education and OISE.
• Promotes Diversity: Appreciates and leverages the capabilities, insights, and ideas of all individuals; works effectively with individuals of diverse style, ability, and motivation.
• Lives OISE Vision and Values: Demonstrates an understanding of local school/business unit’s vision and values, using them as a point of reference where appropriate. Keeps the vision and values at the forefront of decision-making and personal action.

OISE Mission and Themes

• Prepare scholars, teachers and other professional leaders to be equipped with the skills and global awareness required by an increasingly challenging and complex society, ready to influence policy and practice in their fields.
• Discover and mobilize knowledge through leading-edge research, pedagogical and technological innovation, creativity, and scholarship-driven local, national and international collaboration.
• Advance lifelong learning through innovative professional development programming and capacity building for educational change.
• Contribute to public policy dialogue regarding key societal issues.

Commitment to one or more OISE Themes – including excellence in education, research, scholarship and/or advocacy.

• Building our community: learning and leading from within;
• Commitment to Indigenization;
• Wellbeing and mental health;
• Equity, diversity and accessibility;
• Transformative and Innovative pedagogy;
• Building our impact: scholarship, collaboration and internationalization

Innovation Award

Awarded to those who have fostered novel ideas, approaches or solutions in their field, this award celebrates outstanding performance, resulting in new or improved innovations.

Performance Competencies

• Innovation: Generates innovative solutions in work situations; tries different and novel ways to deal with work problems and opportunities. Challenges paradigms, seeking alternative ways to view problems.
• Problem Analysis and Problem Solving: Uses sound or logical judgment to spot and analyze problems, develop alternative solutions and initiate solutions.
• Ability to Influence: Uses appropriate interpersonal styles and techniques to gain acceptance of ideas or plans. Effectively explores alternatives to reach outcomes that gain the support and acceptance of others.
• Thinks Expansively: Combines ideas in unique ways or makes connections between disparate ideas; explores different lines of thought; views situations from multiple perspectives; brainstorms multiple approaches/solutions
• Promotes Diversity: Appreciates and leverages the capabilities, insights, and ideas of all individuals; works effectively with individuals of diverse style, ability, and motivation.
• Lives OISE Vision and Values: Demonstrates an understanding of local school/business unit’s vision and values, using them as a point of reference where appropriate. Keeps the vision and values at the forefront of decision-making and personal action.

OISE Mission and Themes

• Prepare scholars, teachers and other professional leaders to be equipped with the skills and global awareness required by an increasingly challenging and complex society, ready to influence policy and practice in their fields.
• Discover and mobilize knowledge through leading-edge research, pedagogical and technological innovation, creativity, and scholarship-driven local, national and international collaboration.
• Advance lifelong learning through innovative professional development programming and capacity building for educational change.
• Contribute to public policy dialogue regarding key societal issues.

Commitment to one or more OISE Themes – including excellence in education, research, scholarship and/or advocacy.

• Building our community: learning and leading from within;
• Commitment to Indigenization;
• Wellbeing and mental health;
• Equity, diversity and accessibility;
• Transformative and Innovative pedagogy;
• Building our impact: scholarship, collaboration and internationalization

Distinguished Service Award

This award honours exceptional individuals for longstanding or distinguished service in an area of public importance.

Performance Competencies

• Community Mindset: Serves the community in a unique manner, promoting the well being of others. Engages with community leaders to understand needs. Promotes the concept of social interest.
• Build Networks: Makes strong connections and builds productive networks. Makes favourable impressions by interacting in a manner that builds effective relationships.
• Builds Partnerships: Identifies opportunities and takes action to build strategic relationships in the community that will promote the best interests of the public and community well being.
• Persuasiveness: Uses appropriate interpersonal style and communication methods to gain acceptance of a service or idea in support of the public and the community at large.
• Promotes Diversity: Appreciates and leverages the capabilities, insights, and ideas of all individuals; works effectively with individuals of diverse style, ability, and motivation.
• Lives OISE Vision and Values: Demonstrates an understanding of local school/business unit’s vision and values, using them as a point of reference where appropriate. Keeps the vision and values at the forefront of decision-making and personal action.

OISE Mission and Themes

• Prepare scholars, teachers and other professional leaders to be equipped with the skills and global awareness required by an increasingly challenging and complex society, ready to influence policy and practice in their fields.
• Discover and mobilize knowledge through leading-edge research, pedagogical and technological innovation, creativity, and scholarship-driven local, national and international collaboration.
• Advance lifelong learning through innovative professional development programming and capacity building for educational change.
• Contribute to public policy dialogue regarding key societal issues.

Commitment to one or more OISE Themes – including excellence in education, research, scholarship and/or advocacy.

• Building our community: learning and leading from within;
• Commitment to Indigenization;
• Wellbeing and mental health;
• Equity, diversity and accessibility;
• Transformative and Innovative pedagogy;
• Building our impact: scholarship, collaboration and internationalization

Global Service Award

This award celebrates an extraordinary individual for commitment to addressing the world's social and humanitarian challenges with notable global impact.

Performance Competencies

• Promotes Global Citizenship: Takes an active role in the community promoting the importance of a fair, equitable and sustainable world. Understands the wider world and the role they can play to improve such.
• Build Networks: Makes strong connections and builds productive networks internationally. Makes favourable impressions by interacting in a manner that builds effective relationships.
• Builds Global Connections: Promotes the prowess of OISE across the globe, connecting with others internationally.
• Global Impact: Addresses the world’s social and humanitarian challenges, making an exceptional global impact. Shares knowledge, research and/or practices across geographies in a culturally sensitive manner.
• Promotes Diversity: Appreciates and leverages the capabilities, insights, and ideas of all individuals; works effectively with individuals of diverse style, ability, and motivation.
• Lives OISE Vision and Values: Demonstrates an understanding of local school/business unit’s vision and values, using them as a point of reference where appropriate. Keeps the vision and values at the forefront of decision-making and personal action.

OISE Mission and Themes

• Prepare scholars, teachers and other professional leaders to be equipped with the skills and global awareness required by an increasingly challenging and complex society, ready to influence policy and practice in their fields.
• Discover and mobilize knowledge through leading-edge research, pedagogical and technological innovation, creativity, and scholarship-driven local, national and international collaboration.
• Advance lifelong learning through innovative professional development programming and capacity building for educational change.
• Contribute to public policy dialogue regarding key societal issues.

Commitment to one or more OISE Themes – including excellence in education, research, scholarship and/or advocacy.

• Building our community: learning and leading from within;
• Commitment to Indigenization;
• Wellbeing and mental health;
• Equity, diversity and accessibility;
• Transformative and Innovative pedagogy;
• Building our impact: scholarship, collaboration and internationalization

Mentor of the Year Award

This award honours an individual who has offered exceptional support, guidance and encouragement to members of the OISE community.

Performance Competencies

• Mentors Others: Offers exceptional support, guidance and encouragement to members of the OISE community. Takes a personal interest in mentoring relationships. Shares time and expertise.
• Models Excellence: Demonstrates a positive mindset, acting as a positive role model. Lives and models the OISE values. Promotes excellence.
• Recognizes Talent: Strong ability to identify and nurture talent in others. Makes connections and shares networks, helping to build strong and beneficial relationships.
• Embraces a Growth Mindset: Embraces and models a growth mindset that aligns supports a strong career trajectory.
• Promotes Diversity: Appreciates and leverages the capabilities, insights, and ideas of all individuals; works effectively with individuals of diverse style, ability, and motivation.
• Lives OISE Vision and Values: Demonstrates an understanding of local school/business unit’s vision and values, using them as a point of reference where appropriate. Keeps the vision and values at the forefront of decision-making and personal action.

OISE Mission and Themes

• Prepare scholars, teachers and other professional leaders to be equipped with the skills and global awareness required by an increasingly challenging and complex society, ready to influence policy and practice in their fields.
• Discover and mobilize knowledge through leading-edge research, pedagogical and technological innovation, creativity, and scholarship-driven local, national and international collaboration.
• Advance lifelong learning through innovative professional development programming and capacity building for educational change.
• Contribute to public policy dialogue regarding key societal issues.

Commitment to one or more OISE Themes – including excellence in education, research, scholarship and/or advocacy.

• Building our community: learning and leading from within;
• Commitment to Indigenization;
• Wellbeing and mental health;
• Equity, diversity and accessibility;
• Transformative and Innovative pedagogy;
• Building our impact: scholarship, collaboration and internationalization