Yes I Can! Awards 

Nomination Forms Available Now -- Nomination Deadline: April 6, 2012

Award Ceremonies: June 2, 2012

BC CEC's highlight each year is the Yes I Can! Awards celebration to recognize the outstanding achievements of students with exceptionalities in British Columbia. Students from around the province are recognized in one of nine different categories: academics, arts, athletics, community service, employment, extracurricular activities, independent living skills, self-advocacy and technology. BC CEC is thrilled to be able to share in the pride and joy of families and friends of the Yes I Can winners each year. Consider nominating a student you know.

Each year, the BC Council for Exceptional Children holds an awards ceremony honouring its Yes I Can! Award recipients; a growing number of these children and youths with exceptionalities are recognized for their accomplishments through the Yes I Can! Awards Program. Yes I Can! Awards winners are recognized, each in one of the following nine categories: Academics, Arts, Athletics, Community Service, Employment, Extracurricular Activities, Self-Advocacy, Independent Living Skills and Technology.

At the ceremony, each Yes I Can! winner is individually recognized. The winner's name is read along with a description of his or her accomplishments as the child or youth receives the award. Each award winner will receive a framed certificate of achievement personally inscribed with his/her name along with all the pomp and circumstance you would expect at such a special event.

The BC CEC established the Yes I Can! Provincial Awards Program in 2001. The program is modeled after the Council for Exceptional Children and the Yes I Can! Foundation International Awards Program that was instituted in 1981. This program was developed to acknowledge the achievements of children and youth with exceptionalities, overcome barriers caused by public misconceptions, encourage children and youth with exceptionalities to seek their highest potential, and increase public awareness of the abilities, aspirations, and personal qualities of people with exceptionalities. The BC Yes I Can! committee will select one or more of the winners to be nominated to the CEC Yes I Can! International Awards that will be held in April of the following year.

2009 Winners: Liam Glenn Cornelius Silver (Academics), Sarah Cheung (Academics), Rebecca Nosella (Arts), Jake Anthony (Arts), Aizlyn Auckland (Community Service), Jenny Cunningham (Community Service), Robert Gagno (Athletics), Darlene Jakubowski (Athletics), Vanessa Bacatan (ExtraCurricular Activities), Jerman Severeid (Self Advocacy), Parker Illes (Technology), Sarah Tompkins (Technology).

 

2008 Winners: Pamela Rae (Athletics), Jordan Rego (Technology), William Snelgrove (Academics), Courtney McKenzie (Independent Living Skills), Darren Soberano (Independent Living Skills), Sara La Belle (Athletics), Lorenzo Escalambre (Self-Advocacy), Brian Gutenberg (Arts), Tinny Joubble (Extra-Curricular), Casey Cochran (Athletics), and Angell Lu-Lubel (Extra-Curricular).

President's Award

The BC CEC President's Award gives us a unique opportunity to celebrate the accomplishments of our colleagues or showcase an exemplary student who have advanced the field and the quality of special education service in significant ways within the province of BC. This individual should be a driving force in the field of special education resulting in BC CEC being recognized for its commitment, leadership, and dedication to service for students with exceptionalities. This award winner could also have made significant contributions to the Council’s programs and activities at the national and international level over an extended period of time.

2007 BC CEC President's Award Winner - Jennifer Tong

2006 BC CEC President's Award Winner - Brock Metcalf