Sea to Sky School District is proud to celebrate Jillian Fraser of Q’aLaTKu7eM Community School, who has been awarded a Regional Certificate of Achievement for the 2026 Prime Minister’s Awards for Teaching Excellence in STEM.
The Prime Minister’s Awards recognize exceptional educators across Canada for their leadership, innovation and commitment to preparing students for a changing world.
Since Q’aLaTKu7eM Community School opened in 2018, Jillian has played an instrumental role in building its K-12 educational program from the ground up. Her work has helped create a learning environment where academic learning, culture, identity, community and connection to the land come together.
Jillian’s approach to teaching emphasizes inquiry, collaboration and hands-on learning. Students of different ages and abilities learn alongside one another, with older students taking on mentorship and leadership roles. Land-based learning is woven throughout the curriculum, connecting traditional knowledge and environmental stewardship with science, math, literacy and social studies.
Technology and STEM learning are also integrated in meaningful and practical ways. Students use digital portfolios, storytelling, filmmaking and photography; explore science through projects such as indoor gardens; and develop digital literacy skills related to online safety, privacy and ethical technology use.
Jillian’s impact extends well beyond the classroom. Among her many accomplishments, she led the Youth Designing Climate Resilience Project, in which students helped remove 90 junk cars from the community through a multi-year initiative. She has also developed work-placement opportunities, supported the school’s first full-time apprentice in local homebuilding, created a community garden and hot food program, and connected students with athletes and professionals for mentorship and leadership opportunities.
Her contributions to the community have also been recognized by Elders through a traditional naming ceremony, where she received the Ucwalmicwts name Megmigalus (“Bright Eyes”).
The Prime Minister’s Awards biography describes Jillian’s work as transformative, highlighting her commitment to ensuring students in one of Canada’s most remote communities have access to learning that is academically rich, culturally grounded and filled with possibility.
The Sea to Sky School District congratulates Jillian on this well-deserved national recognition and celebrates the meaningful impact she continues to have on her students, school and community.