“Is anyone out there?” is an age-old inquiry not limited by time or borders. It resonates with our curiosity, the vastness of space, and the possibility of life “out there”. As we explore the universe, we are also exploring ourselves. The search for life beyond our planet reflects our longing for connection, fascination with the unknown and desire to comprehend our place in the universe.
It speaks to our innate curiosity, ability to be amazed, and unwavering pursuit of knowledge. This question seeks to find life beyond Earth and aims to understand what it means to be human. Students focused inward on their strengths and abilities and outward on their desire for connection in the 2025 theme for the Student Achievement Awards—Is Anyone Out There? The Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation launched an award supporting the poetic dimension in the learning process of the student.
Teachers and Education Worker Members are using the Student Achievement Awards as an essential tool in classrooms and schools to engage their students. This year, our creative artists, whether in visual or digital/media arts, unlocked their feelings to capture how their personal critics have shaped their lives and pushed them to strive for and achieve their dreams.
The nine award winners have been officially announced and will be featured in the traditional OSSTF/FEESO Student Achievement Awards video, which is part of the annual awards presentation at OSSTF/FEESO’s Annual General Meeting on March 8, 2025. For a sneak peek at the provincial winners, please read below.
In the Prose and Poetry Division, Gracie Smith, of McKinnon Park Secondary School in Caledonia, was the winner of the Intermediate 9-10 category, with an incredibly well written prose piece entitled A Journey of Hope. This writing piece brings the reader through her journey in an apocalyptic world, searching for connection and cure for her sister who is terminal. She befriends an unlikely ally, who encourages to search for a sorcerer, who is said to have a cure for her sister’s illness. This piece speaks to the longing in all of us to outreach and connect when we are feeling alone and lonely.
Sanaa Modasser, of A. Y. Jackson Secondary School in Kanata, claimed the Senior 11-12 prize with their beautifully written essay entitled Akhi. Sanaa very eloquently writes of war time and the protection and love of a brother, who has tried to keep her safe at a time when nothing and no one is safe. Akhi is a common Islamic term for brother, which often is translated to mean protector or leader and this story reflects exactly that.
Aspen Law of l’École Secondaire Cité Supérieure won the category of French Prose and Poetry 9-12 for her piece Nous rejoignons les étoiles. Aspen’s prose describes in beautiful language, a post-apocalyptic world. Earth is a wasteland, and no one can be in the sun due to the total destruction of the ozone layer. The question Aspen asks is why we are spending unlimited amounts to colonize other planets when we can use the money to clean up the mess here on Earth. The main message in the piece is that the due to the high cost of travelling to Mars, only the 1% will benefit, and those not wealthy enough will be left behind.
Pauline Johnson Collegiate Vocational School in Brantford is home to Hayden Mitchell, whose exceptional creative art piece entitled Unheard Cry won the Visual Intermediate 9-10 category. Hayden used acrylic paint on canvas and worked tirelessly for over 18 hours to achieve the incredible dark and light shadows, which captivated the judges. This piece evokes loneliness, loss and humankind’s need for connection at all costs. Hayden states that “the greatest thing we have is humanity, what we are, who we strive to become” and that feeling is completely evident in this art.
Ethan Harrison, from Pauline Johnson Collegiate Vocational School in Brantford, captivated us with the first ever resin on wood piece that the judges had seen. Their piece, Cosmic Roots, was expertly crafted using a piece of oak from their grandfather’s golf course. This piece illustrates for us the limitless of space and the smallness of our Earth within it. The epoxy resin piece forms a representation of a galaxy, while the marbles inside the resign symbolizes the planets. The solitary robot within the resin depicts the exploration of space and the isolation those who have travelled those paths must feel.
In the Visual Non-Credit category, winner Dana Bourgeon of G. L. Roberts Collegiate Vocational Institute in Oshawa, for the creatively illustrating the storybook The Moon Story, for young readers, by Alicia Belvedere and Leanne Milech. The story takes us on a journey of a young boy Kyle, who had difficulty fitting in on Earth finds his groove through friendships with aliens on the Moon. Through the support of his friends, Kyle finds what he’s always been searching for: connection and belonging. He returns to Earth with a new-found confidence and self-esteem which helps him have the life he has always desired on Earth.
The winner of the Digital Arts 9-12 category was Odin Worsley, a second time Student Achievement Award winner, of North Hastings High School. Odin created a clever and detailed video game for children called Finding My Way Home. In the video game, the main character, Kiran, overcomes obstacles in their spaceship, journeying through several stages in space to find the other astronaut, Ripley. Kiran finally finds the connection they were looking for, in the other astronaut, and together, they navigate their way home.
This year, the judges had the opportunity to honour a piece of work that did not win a provincial title in one of the categories. This piece would be something that moved the judges and compelled them to give it a special “Judges Choice” award. That piece was Amelia Jardine’s incredible pencil drawing entitled Duet. This heartbreaking piece told us about the Kaua’i ʻōʻō, an extinct bird native to Kaua’i. The illustration is inspired by the recording of the last documented encounter of a male bird singing its mating call, searching for its others. When you listen to its song, you are listening to the last animal of its species calling to the world and asking the question, “is anyone out there?”
About Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation
OSSTF/FEESO is a strong, independent, socially active union that promotes and advances the cause of public education and the rights of students, educators and educational workers. While establishing working conditions for its members, OSSTF/FEESO also works to build strong public services, preserve academic freedom, prevent the privatization and commercialization of our educational institutions, ensure that students receive an education free of bias and discrimination and provide an equitable opportunity for all students to succeed in a strong, well-funded public education system.
Source: OSSTF- FEESO
