Educator honoured with Nipissing award
When Rick Denton received a teaching award at Nipissing Brantford's recent convocation ceremony, the students went wild.
"They jumped up and cheered," said Maria Cantalini-Williams, director of the school's concurrent education program.
In fact, it was a student, Laura Prusha, who nominated Denton, a longtime educator, for the Nipissing's award for excellence in part-time teaching. Nominees from across the university, with its main campus in North Bay, were considered for the award.
In addition to a plaque, Denton received a $1,500 research grant.
Denton, who was a teacher, special education consultant, school principal, superintendent, and interim director of education for the former Brant District Board of Education and the Grand Erie District School Board, joined Nipissing as an instructor and faculty adviser in 2004.
"Teaching here is the icing on the cake," said Denton of his career in education. "I thoroughly enjoy it. Nipissing is a wonderful employer."
His students describe him as an amazing person: inspiring, compassionate, trustworthy, respectful and professional.
"Not only is Rick committed to student learning, he is committed to the betterment of the Nipissing Brantford campus as a whole," wrote Prusha in her letter of nomination.
In addition to his teaching duties, Denton has been involved in several charity events at the school. He helped students create afloat for the annual Santa Claus parade. For three years, he has organized a gifted outreach conference, which gathers 150 teacher candidates and 400 gifted students from area schools. And three times he has led Nipissing students, studying to be teachers, on international placements in Kenya, even driving them to get the necessary inoculations and passports.
"We want the students to be global educators," said Denton. "Every year is an adventure."
The African trips include three weeks of practice teaching in the mornings. In the afternoons, students pick up hammers and join crews constructing new schools. Denton also leads cultural activities, among them "water walks" to the river with Kenyan girls whose duty is to fetch water for their families.
"They come back changed," Denton said of his students. "It really does change their lives."
A Brantford native, Denton has been a valuable contact for both Nipissing students and teachers, many of whom have roots elsewhere, said Cantalini-Williams.
Denton has encouraged Big Brothers, Big Sisters and other local organizations to use students as mentors.
"Rick is the glue that holds many of our committees together," said Cantalini-Williams.
This year, Nipissing Brantford became part of the Schulich Schools from across Canada after a $15-million donation from philanthropist Seymour Schulich. There are Schulich schools of engineering, law, chemistry, medicine and business at other universities.
Half of the donated funds will go toward 100 scholarships of $6,000 each for students studying science, technology, engineering or mathematics with the intention of becoming teachers.
Denton said he enjoys the intimate atmosphere at Nipissing where there were 734 students enrolled in the four-year concurrent education program in 2009-10.
"Admission is really one student at a time. We really get to know them."
Source: http://www.brantfordexpositor.ca/PrintArticle.aspx?e=2656792