ACAATO AWARD CATEGORY: WM. G. DAVIS COMMUNITY VOLUNTEER
Dedicating her life to advancing the interests of aboriginal students, Brenda Davis has greatly contributed to the Six Nations community and Ontario’s college system. An advocate for First Nations Post-secondary in recruitment, access and retention, Davis serves on the Mohawk College Aboriginal Education Council and is the chair of the Aboriginal Education Council at Fanshawe College. Involved in numerous capacities, she is a member of Mohawk College’s Board of Governors and has worked to establish new governance policies. As a member of the Six Nations Health Sciences Focus Group, she assisted in developing a strategy to train more aboriginal health professionals to meet identified needs. Davis has been instrumental in ensuring community acceptance of the Registered Practical Nursing with Aboriginal Communities program, a joint venture of Mohawk College and Six Nations Polytechnic enabling the training of registered practical nurses. In addition to these contributions, Davis has co-authored a book and has been part of an expert panel on early reading in Ontario. The Wm. G. Davis Community Volunteer Award honours the then-Education Minister, William G. Davis who established the college system in 1965.

ACAATO AWARD CATEGORY: DISTINGUISHED SERVICE
Over the course of her career Louise Gervais, Collège Boréal has demonstrated exceptional leadership and contribution to the college system by striving to help others reach their full potential. For more than 30 years, Gervais has been involved in many student focused roles. As a member of the Learning Support team, her direct involvement with students inspires them to achieve their personal best. Recognized both within her college and within the greater college system, she is responsible for establishing peer tutoring, peer support and other student services at each college she has worked at. A vital member of the college community, some of her other contributions include the development of student welcome and integration programs, a general arts and sciences program at Cambrian College, and an online learner service at Collège Boréal. Ms. Gervais is a speaker who promotes excellence and innovation in student and personnel services.

ACAATO AWARD CATEGORY: STUDENT LEADERSHIP
An active member of the Sheridan Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning community, April Patterson has made an outstanding contribution as a member of student government, a peer mentor and peer advocate. A graduate of the court tribunal agent diploma, Patterson was senate director for the student union; she empowered the senators to achieve a higher level of communications with students and strived to ensure that the student union board of governors always put students first. She further demonstrated her commitment to fellow students through leadership in the peer mentor program while maintaining a 4.0 grade point average. An exemplary student and community member, Patterson is respected by faculty, staff and students. For her contribution, she has been awarded the Ontario Prosecutors Association Award for Leadership (2005), the Sheridan College Board of Directors Academic Achievement Award (2004/05), the Sheridan Student Leadership Excellence Award (2005) and the Sheridan Student Union Executive Excellence Award (2005). She is currently employed as a prosecutor with the Town of Caledon Legal Services department.

ACAATO AWARD CATEGORY: STUDENT INNOVATION
Cheri Corbiere has made an outstanding contribution to student life at Cambrian College. As president of the Cambrian Native Students’ Association, she is a committed volunteer who actively participates in decision making committees. She is a role model for her fellow students and is involved in both the Student Services Division of Cambrian College and the Wabnode Institute. Furthering the interests of aboriginal students, she developed a policy on sacred medicines that the college later adopted. While the college has a unique relationship with the Anishinabek Educational Institute, she assisted in drafting the protocol to improve student services. In addition to these successes, Corbiere established a First Nations Food Bank, organized the first National Alcohol Awareness week, and introduced cultural teachings on campus.

ACAATO AWARD CATEGORY: COMMUNITY/CORPORATE PARTNERSHIP
St. Joseph’s at Fleming is a partnership between Marycrest Home for the Aged, Anson House and Fleming College. The first long-term care facility to be built on a postsecondary campus in Canada, this
200-bed facility is designed to exceed provincial healthcare standards. The centre has eight residential areas and provides residents with large communal activity spaces, central courtyards and personalized private and semi-private rooms. The Fleming Child Care Centre is also located in the facility providing an intergenerational setting. Incorporating Fleming’s Institute for Healthy Aging, the facility provides educational opportunities for students from 12 different programs ranging from practical nursing, occupational and physical therapy, early childhood education to culinary management. Offering a supportive environment for residents and students, St. Joseph’s creates an ideal environment for teaching, research and care. This partnership exemplifies the collaborative work of colleges in serving Ontario’s social, health and economic needs.

ACAATO AWARD CATEGORY: COLLABORATIVE EDUCATORS
For over 20 years the Eastern Region College Committee on Human Resources Development (ERCCHRD) has endeavored to provide relevant training opportunities to college faculty and support staff
in Eastern Ontario. The collaborative efforts of members from Algonquin, Durham, Fleming, Loyalist and St. Lawrence ensure the professional development needs at each participating college are met by sharing resources and information, providing an opportunity to recognize and showcase expertise, and by reducing the duplication of effort and allowing colleges to share costs. Each member college has representatives on the project planning teams which establish flexible guidelines that can be adapted to suit the needs of each institution. Offering six separate training opportunities, the ERCCHRD provides members with affordable, adaptable and accessible professional development.

ACAATO AWARD CATEGORY: COLLABORATIVE EDUCATORS
Meeting the needs of a wide variety of students, the Part-time Justice Studies Diploma/Degree Completion Program for Law Enforcement Practitioners was created by the Humber College Institute
of Technology and Advanced Learning and the University of Guelph to offer seasoned professionals upgrading opportunities required for professional advancement. Since its introduction in 2004, the program is accessible to students of varying experience. The program enables students to complete their diploma in police foundations and/or their bachelor of applied science (justice studies). Providing students with a flexible alternative to traditional studies, each course is arranged in a three-weekend format that is rounded out by online self-study. In addition, students are given credit for their previous education and employment experience. From its inception, the program has had the support of both educational partners and law enforcement professionals and is highly regarded for the quality of its curriculum. The strength of this program and the unique course format is reflected in the high demand from students across the country.

ACAATO AWARD CATEGORY: INNOVATION
Encouraging people recovering from addiction and mental health histories to take first steps towards employment, George Brown College’s Assistant Cook Extended Training (ACET) Program is a
unique partnership with the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto. Providing theory and practical courses, soft skills training and job placements, the program provides students with the skills they need to succeed. Also, support from job coaches during and after the program provides the support needed to help graduates find employment and successfully transition into the workforce. Aimed at people receiving the Ontario Disability Support Program, the ACET program is helping to break the cycle of unemployment and proving that even in the face of adversity, it is possible to succeed.