Teachers Shortlisted for the Cambridge Dedicated Teachers Awards 2023

We are delighted to announce that Ms Mary Lacey-Vittachi and Mr Paul Atkinson have been shortlisted for the Cambridge Dedicated Teacher Awards 2023, a global competition that honours and celebrates the outstanding work of teachers around the world.

The Cambridge Dedicated Teacher Awards is a prestigious and highly competitive global competition that aims to recognise and celebrate the exceptional work of teachers in primary and secondary education. The Awards are organised by Cambridge University Press.

The Awards invite students and colleagues to nominate teachers who have done something wonderful for them. As Cambridge puts it, “All around the world teachers do fantastic work. They don’t just teach a curriculum – they instil values, encourage, support, befriend and truly impact the lives of their students and colleagues around them.”

This year, the Awards received more than 11,000 nominations from 99 countries. Out of the 60 finalists selected by a panel of judges, both Hong Kong recipients were from Island School!

Ms Mary Lacey-Vittachi was nominated by a student for her passion and enthusiasm “in everything she does”. The student praised her for “inspiring all those around her” with her advocacy of “Diversity, Equality and Inclusion” in the Culture Team and her leadership of “the Connected Communities Committee”, which organised various large-scale events involving the Sha Tin community, “strengthening our school’s bonds… amidst our redevelopment to express our gratitude for their hospitality”.

Mr Paul Atkinson was nominated by a colleague for sharing “his skills and knowledge to help us improve our teaching practice”, creating “one of the most enjoyable and supportive environments I have ever worked in” in the English department. As an innovator in Artificial Intelligence (AI), he helped the department “see AI as a tool, rather than a threat” by organising an AI workshop. He is also appreciated for being “involved in so much outside the department” and being “an inspiration”.

We congratulate Ms Lacey-Vittachi and Mr Atkinson for their remarkable achievement!

The details of the nominations can be seen below: