Vanier teacher Andrew Young has won the 2019 Alex Trebek Medal for Geographic Literacy. He is a teacher who goes above and beyond to teach his student’s a love of Canadian geography and as a result is single-handedly keeping geography education alive in the Comox Valley through his sheer passion for the subject and the joy he inspires in students for geography. His efforts to boost geographic learning may one day help his students to find good paying jobs. Geomatics, or the discipline of gathering, storing, processing, and delivering geographic information, is one of the fasting growing sectors of the information‐based economy. Canada’s geomatics industry is comprised of approximately 2500 firms across the country, with revenues of nearly $2.5 Billion. With the Alex Trebek Medal for Geographic Literacy comes $2,500 in prize money. Usually the recipient of the award keeps $1,250 for themselves and the other $1,250 goes to the charity of their choice. Andrew is donating the entire $2,500 in prize money to the BC Cancer Foundation to thank Alex Trebek for his support of geographic literacy in Canada. There are more details in the attached release. Not only is Andrew a great teacher but he is also very active in raising funds for cancer research. Outside of his teaching life and Andrew Young has raised thousands of dollars for cancer research in his Ride for Cancer Campaign that he does every year. He is a focal point of social awareness and change on GP Vanier school’s staff, encouraging all staff in a Ride to Work week twice a year. The fight against cancer is an issue close to Andrew’s heart.
