Stratford Northwestern Teacher Receives a “Woman of the Year” Award
Stratford Northwestern’s Karen Congram (on twitter @kcongram) was honoured recently as one of nine recipients of an “Optimism Place Woman of the Year” award in Perth County. Karen was chosen as Woman of the Year in Health & Wellness for promoting and helping others achieve and promote mental, physical or spiritual well-being in her career or community involvement. In nominating Karen for the honour, Elizabeth Lagerwerf wrote, “Karen Congram is an amazing woman. Each day, Karen is committed to educating, leading change and advocating others to see the world from a different perspective. She is tireless in her pursuit of equality for all. Through her community and regional involvement, she questions how she can improve the lives of those do not have the skills or means to advocate for themselves. She improves their health and wellness. In turn, the health and wellness of the community is improved.
Karen is an educator. She teaches at Stratford Northwestern Secondary School in the cooperative education and student services departments. She is an experienced teacher that continually facilitates students to become successful. Like all of us, many of her students come to school with unresolved issues and baggage. Unlike most of us, her students often do not have the skills to navigate within the school and larger community without bumping their baggage into road blocks which impede their movement forward. In her role as co-operative education teacher, she seeks out employers in the community to provide work placements for students to learn skills that will provide them choices once they are finished high school. Many of her placements involve students who require a supporting environment in which to succeed due to physical, mental or social needs.”
iAM Education TV travelled to Stratford to meet with Karen and talk about her nomination and receiving the “Woman of the Year” honour.
