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Congratulations
2026 ACIFA Award Winners
DISTINGUISHED INSTRUCTOR AWARD
Established in 2016, this award aims to recognize teachers who exhibit commitment to teaching, to learners, and learning through a variety of measures.
Marnie Blair
Red Deer Polytechnic
Marnie Blair is a Faculty member in the School of Arts & Education at Red Deer Polytechnic, bringing seventeen years of undergraduate teaching experience to her practice. She holds an MFA from the University of Calgary and a BFA from Lakehead University, with additional study at the Royal College of Art and SACI Florence. Her professional experience includes teaching at Thompson Rivers University and work with The Banff Centre and The Lower East Side Print Shop. Her research investigates the intersections of art, women’s health, and technology.
Chantelle Fitton, MSc, RN, is faculty in the Bachelor of Nursing and Practical Nursing programs at Lethbridge Polytechnic. She brings a deep commitment to social justice and advocacy to her teaching, drawing on her professional experience in addictions, mental health, and street nursing to engage students in critically examining systems of oppression in healthcare. Chantelle weaves in her own Anishinaabek Ways of Knowing to create a learning environment grounded in relationality, respect, and safety, encouraging students to explore their own worldviews and develop ethical, culturally responsive approaches to nursing practice.
Marie Laenen is a passionate nursing and simulation instructor with Lethbridge Polytechnic. Her work focuses on decolonizing education and health care through building meaningful connections, reducing barriers, and empowering students in ways that have lasting and transformative impacts. She uses strength-based approaches, cultural humility, intentional activities, and diverse collaboration to create change and shape education in purposeful ways. Her philosophies balance being bold and courageous with gentle, inclusive compassion. She appreciates fluid and flexible learning environments where students can discover their greatness and move to higher understandings of themselves and the world around them through reflection and experiential learning.
Raihau Izonybore is an enthusiastic mental health advocate who uses simulation as a tool to build relational understanding and humanity into learning. He prides himself on his commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion through exploring lived journeys, incorporating storytelling, and creating emotional depth in education to help learners relate to content. He brings learning alive through immersive roleplaying, emotionally intense simulations, and offering experiential learning on topics ranging from suicide, violence, discrimination, addiction, mental illness, resiliency, and recovery. Raihau is a proud member of the LGBQT community and uses his own life experiences to help support, mentor, and connect with students in his role as an Instructional Assistant with Lethbridge Polytechnic.
INNOVATION IN TEACHING AWARD
The aim of the Award for Innovation in Teaching is to recognize and encourage the use of innovative and creative teaching methods and design.
Chantelle Fitton
Marie Laenen
Raihau Izonybore
Lethbridge Polytechnic
SCHOLARSHIP OF TEACHING AND LEARNING AWARD
A Scholarship of Teaching and Learning research project involves talking a systematic look at some educational practice and recording what was done and why, collecting and analyzing data, and reflecting on how the results might influence teaching endeavors
The Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) Award was not presented this year. We extend our sincere appreciation to everyone who submitted an application.
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