Media Release Backgrounder
CITATION:
Dianne Leggatt, BA, M.Ed., Retired Educator & Volunteer with Herbert H. Carnegie Future Aces Foundation
Dianne Leggatt's 30-year teaching career is marked by her generosity, creativity, compassion and vision. As a classroom teacher, guidance counselor, vice-principal and principal with York Region District School Board, Leggatt focused on helping students reach their full potential. When she retired as Principal with the York Region District School Board in 1999, she knew she needed to continue her work in making a difference in the lives of young people.
She found this opportunity through work and volunteering as an education facilitator for the Herbert H. Carnegie Future Aces Foundation, whose mission is to inspire and assist youth and adults to be the best they can be as respectful, peaceful, responsible and caring citizens.
The Herbert H. Carnegie Future Aces Foundation, founded in 1987, is a non-profit, registered, charitable organization whose primary aim is to assist young people to go to college or university. Since 1988, $370,000 has been awarded in scholarships to students from all across Canada who have displayed exemplary citizenship qualities.
As a member of the three-person Education Team, Leggatt makes presentations at schools in Ontario and beyond to promote the use of the Future Aces philosophy, which is based on the belief that positive attention contributes to, and reinforces, a person's self-esteem. In seeking to achieve its goals, Future Aces philosophy focuses on the positive rather than the negative, by recognizing and encouraging attitudes and actions that are desirable and constructive. Future Aces initiatives benefit the lives of more than 70,000 students annually.
Leggatt is involved in character-building initiatives for Future Aces to help fight bullying, violence, low self-esteem and racism and to promote peaceful positive actions and citizenship. Her initiatives include:
- training and presentations to schools across the Greater Toronto area and beyond
- specialized custom designed in-services for educators, parents and students
- annual leadership conference for at-risk students
- review, development and implementation of workshops and templates for teachers
- a Summer Training Institute for teachers
In addition to working some 16 hours a month for the Foundation, Leggatt volunteers approximately 60 hours a month to the Foundation. She is involved in the creative aspects and in the execution of all fundraising activities, is a reader for the scholarship selection process, and helps plan and host the annual scholarship reception. As well, she designed and maintains the Future Aces website.
Her voluntarism extends to the International Holistic Tourism Education Centre (IHTEC), where she has served as a member of the Board of Directors since 2003. The non-governmental organization was founded by Dame Julia Morton-Marr, one of nine Canadian Women nominated with the 1000 Peace Women for the 2005 Nobel Peace Prize. IHTEC is dedicated to developing global sustainability education programs that educate young people through tourism as a vital force for peace.
"Dianne Leggatt has helped many students reach their full potential," said Dr. Lloyd Axworthy, President and Vice-Chancellor of The University of Winnipeg. "She gives generously of her time and expertise through her voluntarism to the Herbert H. Carnegie Future Aces Foundation and to the International Holistic Tourism Education Centre and deftly promotes education, peace and good citizenship, making a difference in the lives of young people."
Leggatt's interests also include photography, ham radio and sailing. She is a member of Sports Media Canada and Association International de la Presse Sportif, which takes her all over the world and for which she has planned, organized and participated in the organizations' annual awards banquets. As well, Leggatt is Vice President and co-founder of Toronto Marine Amateur Radio Club (MARC). She has her Basic and Morse Certification and has volunteered with and supported the organization of MARC since its inception in the early 1990s. For 20 years, she has also volunteered as a photographer and assistant for the Yachtsmen's Spring Thaw Luncheon Committee.