2025 Edward Burtynsky Award for Teaching Excellence in Environmental Education Application

Edward Burtynsky Award for Teaching Excellence in Environmental Education

Application Deadline - June 6th 2025
Thank you for participating in Natural Curiosity’s Edward Burtynsky Award for Teaching Excellence in Environmental Education.

We recognize that many educators are at different points in their journey. By sharing your story of how you integrate the importance and interconnectedness of all life on Earth in your teaching, you are contributing to a growing body of professional knowledge that inspires education transformation.

Your written response should focus on describing how your practice relates to the success criteria. Tell us your story and please remember to provide concrete examples.
Alternative Submission Method
This year, the Natural Curiosity team would like to again offer applicants the opportunity to submit an audio/video application. Your audio/video application should be no longer 5 minutes, and clearly organized in its response to each of the following application questions. We will be accepting this submission method by URL only – please upload your audio/video application to a hosting platform (i.e. Youtube, Vimeo) and share the link here:
Application Questions

Please refer to the Success Criteria PDF to assist you in your application. We recommend that you draft and save your response in Google Docs or Microsoft Word before inserting your final application into this form, and please be mindful of the word count limit for each question.
Primary Applicant:*

First NameLast Name
If this is a collaborative application, please list out the full names of all other applicants in this field:
Mobile No. :*

Area CodePhone Number
E-mail :*
Where the confirmation will be send to
Home Address :*

Street Address

Street Address Line 2

CityState / Province

Postal / Zip CodeCountry
Background and General Rationale for Submission
Please provide a brief personal background and a description of your teaching philosophy and practice in environmental education on which you are basing your application. What experiences or values have driven. your dedication to this field? *

Max 300 words 0/300
Branch I: Inquiry & Engagement/Lighting the Fire
Please describe how you ignite curiosity about learning and the natural world in your students. How do you empower them to actively pursue their questions and ideas? *

Max 300 words0/300
Branch II: Experiential Learning/Sending Out Roots
Please describe how you create opportunities for hands-on and hearts-on experiences for your learners to connect with the environment. Describe how these experiences foster a sense of place and personal connection to the land. *

Max 300 words0/300
Branch III: Integrated Learning/The Flow of Knowledge
Please describe how you integrate environmental inquiry across a range of subjects, curriculum strands and perspectives. Provide examples of real world problems, community connections or questions that students explore and how it relates to their broader understanding of the world. *

Max 300 words0/300
Branch IV: Moving Towards Sustainability/Breathing with the World
Please describe how your teaching practice creates opportunities for students to begin to move towards sustainable attitudes and actions, and seeds for reciprocal relationships with the world.*

Max 300 words0/300
Integrating Indigenous Perspectives
Describe your ongoing commitment to integrating Indigenous perspectives in your work as an educator. How do you ensure that Indigenous knowledge and perspectives are respectfully integrated into your environmental education efforts?*

Max 300 words0/300
Innovation and Impact
Illustrate your innovative ideas and initiatives in environmental education. What has been the impacts of your efforts on students, colleagues and the community?*

max 300 words0/300
Professional Initiative and Community Collaboration
Share how you collaborate with students and colleagues. How do you engage the wider community in your environmental education efforts?*

Max 300 words0/300
Putting it Back Together
Tell us how it all came together. How did the four branches of environmental inquiry work together in your practice to support and deepen student learning? How is this philosophy reflected in your practice on a daily basis, and what did that look like for you this year? Please demonstrate connections to your own personal teaching pedagogy.*

Max 300 words0/300
Pedagogical Documentation
This field is optional. You may attach up to 5 photos to support your written submission. By sharing photos, you are giving Natural Curiosity permission to publish these photos on our website and social media. Please be mindful of your institution’s photo policy prior to sharing.

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Edward Burtynsky Award for Teaching Excellence in Environmental Education

Alternative Submission Method

Application Questions