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Teaching Excellence in Lifelong Learning Award

 

2025 Recipients  |   Eligibility  |  Criteria  |  Nomination  |  Application  |  Past Recipients


The Teaching Excellence in Lifelong Learning Award recognizes and celebrates exemplary contributions to non-credit education. Instructors who demonstrate teaching excellence, positive student impact, inclusive and innovative practices and community impact are eligible for nomination.

Recipients of the Teaching Excellence in Lifelong Learning Award receive a monetary award of $500 (choice of a cash honorarium or donation to a Mount Royal scholarship), a letter signed by the provost and vice-president, academic, and a framed certificate.

Award recipients are also recognized on Mount Royal's Faculty Excellence Awards website and at the Faculty Excellence Celebration in May. They may also be recognized through other channels.

Up to two awards may be granted each year. 


2025 Award Recipients

 

Raisa Alarakyia

Raisa Alarakyia

Instructor

Education Assistant Extension Certificate
Faculty of Continuing Education

 

New students in the Faculty of Continuing Education’s Education Assistant (EA) Extension Certificate program often recognize Raisa Alarakyia on their first day of class; they’ve already met her. As a passionate ambassador for the program, Raisa frequently facilitates information sessions for prospective students, playing a pivotal role in their decision to register.

An instructor at Mount Royal since 2019, Raisa teaches five courses in the EA certificate program. It attracts a wide demographic of learners, including mature students, recent immigrants who may struggle with English as a second language and students with exceptionalities. Considering this, achieving learning outcomes in an online environment can be challenging. However, Raisa excels at creating an inclusive, diverse and respectful learning space that promotes and supports student success,” says program coordinator Pamela Karlenzig. “Without a doubt, her student evaluations are the best of any instructor in my portfolio.”

Raisa contributes to innovation within the program and advocates for inclusive online learning. She integrates experiential learning methods rather than simply explaining accessibility. In one example, Raisa asks her students to lip-read a spelling test, an exercise that reveals communication challenges and sparks deeper exploration of captioning, sign language and multimodal supports.


 

Jennifer Orr

Jennifer Orr

Instructor

Speech Arts and Drama
Mount Royal Conservatory
Faculty of Continuing Education

 

With over thirty years of experience as an instructor and nearly as long as the program coordinator, Jennifer Orr has transformed the Mount Royal Conservatory’s Speech Arts and Drama program, ensuring the strength, relevance and quality it enjoys today.

Jennifer lives by her belief that speech arts is a vital art form, and she has developed programs that set the standard of excellence in speech and drama training. Her innovative programming development has elevated the speech arts and drama curriculum and expanded the Conservatory’s enrolment.

“Mrs. Orr is a remarkable educator whose passion for teaching, ability to inspire and unwavering dedication to her students and colleagues set her apart,” says Elizabet Rajchel, a Conservatory instructor who considers Jennifer her mentor. “Her leadership has not only shaped my career but the careers and lives of countless others.”

Among her many achievements, in 2024, Jennifer launched Words! Words! Words!, a Conservatory showcase featuring over 140 Speech Arts and Drama students, a result of her organizational skill, vision and dedication.

Jennifer’s impact extends beyond Mount Royal. As a leader of The Royal Conservatory of Music’s curriculum development team and its speech and drama specialist, she is influencing the future of the art form’s education programming internationally.

 


2025 Awards Adjudication Committee

Member Title
Dr. Evan Cortens Dean, Faculty of Continuing Education (Chair)
Dr. Dimitra Fotopoulos Vice-Dean, Faculty of Continuing Education
Dr. Terry Clark Director, Conservatory
Kailee Jacobson Educational Facilitator, Inclusive Post-Secondary Education
Evelyn Brisibe Instructor
Lisa Collins Student

Award requirements

 


Past recipients

 

 


Return to Faculty Excellence Awards


The Faculty Excellence Awards are administered through Academic Affairs, as part of Mount Royal’s Celebrate U framework for employee rewards and recognition.