AWARD NOMINATIONS TORONTO DEADLINE | September 28 at 11:59 PM EST
AWARDS PROGRAM
The Addressing Vaping in Schools Awards Program aims to recognize excellence and innovation in school-based approaches that prevent, delay or reduce harms from youth substance use.
Named after trailblazers who paved the way for stronger school-based approaches to youth resilience, these awards honour the legacy of their impactful work.
They also highlight today’s transformative practices and build on the important work that came before.
As Executive Director of Alcohol-Drug Education Service (ADES), Art oversaw the creation of customized, culturally appropriate substance use education resources for diverse populations, ranging from vulnerable youth to pregnant women to communities whose primary language was not English. He also co-directed the Pacific Institute on Addiction Studies for 18 years and consulted widely on substance-use research, needs assessments, policy, and reporting for a variety of local, regional and national health organizations. As Manager of Substance Use Health Promotion at the Vancouver School Board, Art co-created and led the transformative Supporting and Connecting Youth (SACY) program Developed in partnership with Vancouver Coastal Health, SACY provides tailored support for students across grades 8–12, addressing the full spectrum of substance involvement—from prevention to chronic use—and recognizing the unique needs of BIPOC, LGBTQ2S+, and other sub-populations. SACY also supports parents, caregivers, educators, and school administrators, making it one of the most comprehensive school-based substance use support programs in Canada. Art has spent much of his career, and now his retirement, working to change how school communities enable youth to develop the skills, knowledge and confidence to navigate the world of substance use.
EVALUATION CRITERIA
Applications will be reviewed on the basis of:
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Sustainability of solutions: Demonstrates viability beyond initial pilots by mentioning strategies to continue the solution within available resources in the K-12 system.
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Replicability of solutions: Shows potential to be adapted and scaled across different schools, districts, or communities
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Impact on vulnerable student populations: Addresses the needs of students who may have a higher risk of problematic substance-use due to social, cultural, personal or economic factors.
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Alignment with a healthy school approach: Solutions fall under one or more pillars of Comprehensive School Health (i.e., teaching and learning, social and physical environments, partnerships, school policy).
ELIGIBILITY
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Self-nominations are accepted.
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The efforts undertaken must have been within the K-12 education system in Canada.
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Any member directly related to the awards review committee is not eligible for nomination.
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Posthumous applications are not eligible
DEADLINES
2025 Conference Dates (Toronto):
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CALL OPENS | Tuesday, Sep 2, 2025 at 12pm EST
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CALL CLOSES | Sunday, September 28 at midnight EST
Applicants will be notified by October 3, 2025
2026 Conferences:
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CALL OPENS | November 15, 2025, 9am PST
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CALL CLOSES | December 14, 2025 at midnight PST
Applicants will be notified by December 21, 2025
THE ART STEINMANN LEADERSHIP AWARD
PURPOSE OF THE AWARD
The Art Steinmann Leadership Award aims to recognize a person who has championed efforts to address youth substance use in school settings. This champion should be a professional in K-12 education.
The ideal candidate has shown an ongoing commitment to this cause by building and nurturing strong relationships, investing in capacity building efforts, and/or influencing policy at the school level. This work must be within the K-12 education system in Canada.
AWARD DETAILS
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One award recipient will be selected for each location where the conference is being hosted.
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Awards will be issued at the venue closest to the recipient’s place of residence.
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The Art Steinmann Award in Winnipeg will specifically recognize individuals whose work has focussed on Indigenous education, anywhere in Canada.
For this award, recipients may choose to attend or if they are not attending, we will film the ceremony and ship the award following the event.
ABOUT ART STEINMANN
ART STEINMANN
Art is a veteran educator bringing over 40 years of experience in substance use policy, education, program development, advocacy and health promotion.
Art Steinmann is a veteran educator who saw that traditional drug education approaches—including scare tactics and facts and stats—were leaving students unprepared to cope with the realities of substance use. Art brings over 40 years of experience in substance use policy, education, program development, advocacy and health promotion.
As Executive Director of Alcohol-Drug Education Service (ADES), Art oversaw the creation of customized, culturally appropriate substance use education resources for diverse populations, ranging from vulnerable youth to pregnant women to communities whose primary language was not English. He also co-directed the Pacific Institute on Addiction Studies for 18 years and consulted widely on substance-use research, needs assessments, policy, and reporting for a variety of local, regional and national health organizations.
As Manager of Substance Use Health Promotion at the Vancouver School Board, Art co-created and led the transformative Supporting and Connecting Youth (SACY) program Developed in partnership with Vancouver Coastal Health, SACY provides tailored support for students across grades 8–12, addressing the full spectrum of substance involvement—from prevention to chronic use—and recognizing the unique needs of BIPOC, LGBTQ2S+, and other sub-populations. SACY also supports parents, caregivers, educators, and school administrators, making it one of the most comprehensive school-based substance use support programs in Canada.
Art has spent much of his career, and now his retirement, working to change how school communities enable youth to develop the skills, knowledge and confidence to navigate the world of substance use.