Awards and Recognition
Pillar and Passion Awards
ATLE recognizes excellence in its pillars of learning, technology, and leadership through its annual Pillar and Passion Awards, awarded annually at the ATLE Convergence Conference in the Fall.
Nomination for these awards opens in the early Fall. Subscribe to our newsletter (bottom of this page) for notification of when nominations open for the Fall of 2024.
ProLearn Research and Innovation Grants
ProLearn Research and Innovation Grants, awarded in the Spring by the ProLearn Team, recognizes those applicants who invest in research and innovation within their educational communities.
Applications for ProLearn Research and Innovation Grants will be received in January, once we post our revised 2024 application form. Subscribe to our newsletter (bottom of this page) for timely updates. Read more about ProLearn grants on the ProLearn Research and Innovation Grants page.
Read about the ATLE 2023 Pillar and Passion Award recipients below!
ATLE Pillar Award
In 2011, the ATLE Board created the Pillar Award to recognize and celebrate outstanding contribution to technology in K-12 in Alberta. Recipients of the Pillar Award have been involved in learning, technology, and leadership for many years, and are considered friends, pioneers, making a difference - yes, essentially "pillars" involved in technology in Alberta.
Pillar Award recipients are those people we all look up to, care about, and recognize as those who have helped many others, improving the "technology in education" community in Alberta along the way.
Sometimes this person is one whose outstanding career is being recognized. Sometimes this person is one who has helped in a very specific way, that impacts a majority of students. We have recognized people from government ministries, and people from our local school jurisdictions.
The ATLE Board does not lightly nominate folks, and the Pillar Award is not presented every year.
This award is the highest honor and distinction that the Alberta Technology Leaders in Education organization recognizes. We will continue to recognize and celebrate ATLE Pillar Award recipients, both present and past.
2023 ATLE Pillar Award
Congratulations to Daylene Lauman, recipient of the 2023 ATLE Pillar Award.
Daylene has worked as teacher and leader of learners of all ages, from young students to graduate students at the university level. She’s led Online Learning initiatives with Alberta Education, and now is Head of School at the Ignite Centre for eLearning. She is involved in blended/online learning committees nationally and internationally.
Daylene ignites others in many ways, at work and through volunteering with ATLE, supporting conferences and other initiatives. She has long been a mentor to teachers in technology integration and other “timely for today” educational pedagogies.
As a visionary leader, Daylene’s role as a pillar is seen in her passion being always centred on learning and learners. She is well-educated, resourceful, and insatiably curious. She has contributed at every single level of influence - from local to international to virtual.
Daylene has committed her entire career to making a difference, and by being real and humble and a lifelong learner and do-er herself, she creates conditions for change to happen and initiatives to flourish.
What truly sets Daylene apart and elevates her to the status of an extraordinary "practitioner leader" is…that she doesn't merely adopt technology tools; she breathes life into them within our classrooms and operational frameworks. It is the pursuit of knowledge and the unshakable belief in the power of learning that serve as the compass guiding Daylene's every decision concerning technology, making her a true luminary in the field.
ATLE Passion Award
The ATLE Passion Award honors outstanding educators and leaders who demonstrate extraordinary commitment, leadership, courage and persistence in improving digital learning opportunities for students.
2023 ATLE Passion Award
Congratulations to Memorese Walter, recipient of the 2023 ATLE Passion Award.
The ATLE Passion Award honors outstanding educators and leaders who demonstrate extraordinary commitment, leadership, courage and persistence in improving digital learning opportunities for students.
Memorese Walter has been devoted to the Peace Wapiti School Division for 30 years and has spent the last 12 of those years supporting teachers implementing technology in the classroom. Promoting the growth of technology use in the district, she makes it a priority to keep up to date with the latest applications and trends while continuing to keep digital citizenship at the forefront of her pedagogy. Mem’s ability to come alongside staff and students alike with kindness and understanding, empowering growth and confidence while using technology and trying new things, is unparalleled. While retirement is on the horizon for this year, her legacy will continue to impact the district for years to come. Leaving some big shoes to fill, Memorese Walter is, and continues to be, deserving of the Passion Award.
ATLE is a great example of an organization that "stands on the shoulders of giants". The individuals we have celebrated as award recipients over the years are testament to the sturdy roots of excellence in IT, ET, and Leadership that have shaped the evolution of the ATLE we all connect with today.
We've been scanning our ATLE archives to gather our lists below. If you notice any revisions needed in the list below, please Contact Us with any missing information! Thank you!
| Pillar Award Recipients | |
| 2011 | Erwin Loewen |
| 2012 | John Percevault and Gary Spence |
| 2013 | Lyle Roberts and Edna Dach |
| 2015 | Todd Kennedy and James Aitchison |
| 2017 | Michael Barr and Jeff Murray |
| 2019 | Brian Wynder and David Lorenson |
| 2020 | Dan Durand |
| 2022 | Ken Robitaille |
| 2023 | Daylene Lauman |
| Passion Award Recipients | |
| 2020 | Michael Nielsen and Brian Archinuk |
| 2022 | Nicole Lakusta |
| 2023 | Memorese Walter |
Last, but certainly noteworthy, at Convergence 2021, a one-time Service Award was presented to then Executive Director Doug Dietz, in recognition for his many years of dedication and service to ATLE. Doug, as Executive Director, was instrumental in leading ATLE from a fledgling organization to a place where he could hand it off to a Team who can move it forward into its next future-ready rendition!