Beaumier Award for High School/CÉGEP Chemistry Teachers

Donna Labun teaches Chemistry at Kelvin High School in Winnipeg. Committed to the principle that science is best learned through experience, she immerses her students in chemistry by studying gas laws while scuba diving and serving delicious liquid-nitrogen ice cream. Challenging students with a rigorous International Baccalaureate Chemistry curriculum while making complex concepts engaging and accessible, she also invites students to consider broader issues of sustainability by offering opportunities for hands-on research through the NorthSTAR program (Northern Student-led Arctic Research). In partnership with University of Manitoba, students have travelled with her to Churchill for the past 11 years to conduct research on the behaviour and health of polar bears, linking their observations to climate change. Scientific collaboration is fostered by partnering with students from Northern communities. Donna mentors students to present their results at conferences such as ArcticNet, Wildlife Society, and the Canadian Society of Ecology and Evolution, and leads annual Science Rendezvous workshops. Donna is also a member of the Shad Manitoba summer faculty, where she organizes field trips to Churchill, exposing students to Arctic Science and traditional knowledge. She obtained her B.Sc. in Chemistry and B.Ed. in Secondary Education at University of Winnipeg.