Saturday, September 28, 2024 
Saturday, September 28, 2024
June 10, 2020
In a technological world, ensuring that the next generation is prepared to thrive in the future is vital. This requires educators who motivate their students to reach their full potential. The Dick Hopkins award recognizes this, and is pleased to announce that the recipient of the 2020 Dick Hopkins Award of Excellence in Technological Education is Mario Blouin from the Conseil Scolaire Catholique de District Des Grandes Rivieres.
Dick Hopkins was a technology educator at Napanee and Sydenham High Schools and Queen’s University Faculty of Education who inspired an entire generation with his enthusiasm and dedication to his craft. Sadly, Dick passed away suddenly in October 2002. In honour of Dick, Skills Ontario and the Ontario Council for Technology Education (OCTE) grant an annual award of excellence to outstanding technology educators in his name. Recipients of this award are technological educators or administrators involved in technological education who endorse community-based projects, promote skilled trade and technology careers, and uphold quality teaching with enthusiasm for technological education.
Before his retirement in June 2019, Mario had taught technology education for 32 years. Along with his experience as a professional welder, Mario has always been driven to develop his teaching skills since he started his career. He became an expert in robotics and design, communications and animation, and machining and manufacturing. Mario has also led many conference workshops, symposiums, and formal discussions with university teacher certification programs.
As a testament to his enthusiastic, compassionate, and goal-oriented teaching style, many of Mario’s students have proceeded to become successful journeypersons and business owners. Evidently, Mario’s passion for fostering the growth of strong skill sets in youth go beyond the classroom and extend into the community.
The 2020 Dick Hopkins Award will be presented jointly from Skills Ontario and OCTE at the OCTE Awards Gala on Monday, November 23rd at the Hilton Mississauga Meadowvale. As Dick was a champion of encouraging his students to challenge themselves and to showcase their talents to the community, the Dick Hopkins Award recognizes excellence in technological education, and Skills Ontario and OCTE congratulate Mario for this incredible achievement.
About Skills Ontario
Over the last 30 years, Skills Ontario has been growing a portfolio of programs including in-school presentations reaching 125,000 students across Ontario, career exploration summer camps, Young Women’s and First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Career Exploration Conferences, and annually hosting Canada’s largest skilled trades and technologies competition which attracts 37,000+ spectators who cheerlead the 2,400+ competitors in 68+ trades and tech categories. To see how you can partner with Skills Ontario and help make a difference in the lives of Ontario’s youth, visit skillsontario.com/get-involved.
About Ontario Council for Technology Education
OCTE strives to provide leadership in education by developing and delivering high quality and innovative teacher resources, training and professional development opportunities that inspire teachers and meet the needs of education, industry and our future workforce. For more information or to get involved, visit the OCTE website at www.octe.ca.
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