The Kidder-Pascal Awards for System Change & Innovation in Education
About The Kidder-Pascal Awards
Annie Kidder and Charles Pascal
The Kidder-Pascal Awards for Systems听Change and Innovation in Education celebrate visionary leadership, bold ideas, and transformative action that advance the promise of public education in Canada.听
Named in honour of Annie Kidder and Charles Pascal鈥� two of Canada鈥檚 most influential champions for public education鈥攖he awards recognize听people and organizations听who are reshaping education听so that it can deliver on听that promise.听
色中色鈥檚 5-year initiative,听The Education Promise, is听based on the belief that public education is one of Canada鈥檚 greatest, but underappreciated assets, and that public schools听can听be an upstream policy solution to a range of challenges Canada is facing. But that working differently and together across the country and across sectors is critical for education to realize听its promise.听听
Annie and Charles鈥� lifelong commitment to public education听are aligned with the goals of听The Education Promise, and these Awards seek to听celebrate听leaders and organizations听who strive to transform public education so that learners are equipped with the creativity, empathy, and critical thinking necessary to navigate and improve a complex, polarized world.听听
Two distinct awards听make up the听Kidder-Pascal听Awards for Systems听Change and Innovation in Education:听听
- The听Systems听Change听Award听
- The听Promise in Practice Award听
Together, these awards honour the legacy of Annie Kidder and Charles Pascal by recognizing those who are building the future of public education鈥攖hrough systemic transformation and the innovative local practices and leadership that make it possible.
Congratulations to our 2026 winners!
The Systems Change Award: Cindy Blackstock
Awarded to a person or鈥痯ersons鈥痺hose work addresses the broader systems that shape鈥痚ducation,鈥痳ecognizing public education as central to a healthier, sustainable, productive, and democratic society. Recipients of the鈥疭ystems Change Award鈥痗an be from any sector, but their work must intersect with public education.鈥��
Selected by the Kidder-Pascal Nominating Committee, Dr. Cindy Blackstock is recognized for her tireless advocacy for the rights of First Nations children. Her work has fundamentally shifted national policy and legal frameworks, ensuring that systemic change is rooted in justice, equity, and the inherent dignity of every child.听
The Promise听in听Practice Award鈥�: Student Vote, CIVIX
Awarded to an individual, program, initiative, or organization working with publicly-funded schools in Canada that exemplifies the transformative potential of public education, particularly related to role of public education in addressing challenges related to one or more of鈥�The Education Promise鈥檚鈥痯olicy areas: Civic Engagement & Democracy, Environment & Climate Change, Health, and Skills & Economy.鈥��
Chosen through a competitive open nomination process from a field of exceptional provincial and national programs and leaders, Student Vote by CIVIX is honoured for its excellence in experiential learning. By bringing the democratic process into the classroom, Student Vote empowers the next generation of informed and engaged citizens.
Special Citation for Lifetime Impact: Medhat Mahdy
The Kidder-Pascal Awards honours the late Medhat Mahdy, former President and CEO of the YMCA of Greater Toronto, with a special posthumous citation. His lifelong dedication to youth development, early years and child care, and his vision of the YMCA as a cornerstone of community wellbeing left an indelible mark on the lives of countless Canadians.
Celebrating the Winners
Join us to celebrate the 2026 winners of the Kidder-Pascal Awards in Toronto on June 10th. In addition to recognizing the honourees, the Awards Breakfast will feature a fireside chat about why we need strong public education now more than ever with The Honourable Bob Rae, Canada鈥檚 former UN Ambassador in conversation with 2026 Obama Foundation Scholar Victoria Kuketz.
Individual tickets听and tables are now available!
About Annie Kidder and Charles Pascal
Annie Kidder
Annie Kidder was one of the founders of 色中色, an independent, charitable organization working to support and advance public education through research, policy analysis, and public engagement. For nearly 30 years, she was the organization鈥檚 Executive Director and chief spokesperson.
Annie is an expert on education policy, a passionate believer in public education鈥檚 foundational role in building a fair and prosperous society, and an advocate for using evidence to support system change. She has regularly provided advice to policymakers and government, and her writing on education has been widely published. She also appears in the media as an expert in public education.
She is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Ontario Principals鈥� Council 2004听Outstanding Contribution to Education Award, the Canadian Teachers鈥� Federation 2005听Public Education Advocacy Award,听and, in 2018,听an honourary doctorate from York University. Annie is also a Maytree Policy School alumna. She has spoken at conferences in Canada, the United States, Europe, Africa, and South America as an expert on education issues.
Charles Pascal
Born in Chicago and later becoming one of Canada's most influential public policy architects, Charles Pascal was a visionary leader dedicated to the transformative power of education. After earning his PhD in psychology from the University of Michigan, he moved to Canada, where he began a distinguished academic career at McGill University and later the University of Toronto鈥檚 Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE). His early work in early childhood development laid the foundation for his lifelong advocacy, viewing education not merely as a system of schooling but as a fundamental pillar of a healthy democracy.
Meet the Nominating Committee
- Annie Kidder (chair)
- Arlene Perly Rae
- Tassie Notar
- Pedro Barata, CEO & President, Habitat for Humanity and The Education Promise Advisory Board member
- Florence Bergeron, Associate Director Operations, The Students Commission of Canada
- Andrew Bieronski, Head of Growth – Canada, Wayground
- Patrick Case, human rights advocate
- Joseph Flessa, Associate Dean, Programs, OISE-UofT
- Candy Ho, faculty, Kwantlen Polytechnic University, past Board Chair, CERIC, and The Education Promise Advisory Board member
Kidder-Pascal Awards Supporters
Thank you to our award launch partners for their support!
