The Bank of Canada Museum is proud to announce the recipients of its 2025 Award for Excellence in Teaching Economics, recognizing two remarkable educators who are helping students build real-world financial skills through innovative, community-focused learning.
Angela Larocque, a middle school teacher from Forest Hills School in St. John, New Brunswick and Nicole Feisst, a high school educator from École Clément-Cormier in Bouctouche, New Brunswick are the winners of the Museum’s fourth annual award.
Both teachers helped students connect their interests and ambitions to economic reality through programs that included input from parents and professionals in the local economy. By involving the community, these programs provided students with an approach to learning financial literacy that goes beyond the theoretical.
Angela Larocque moved economic education outside the classroom through community-based financial literacy initiatives. These include “Idea Market,” an annual money-making entrepreneurship event, and “Money Matters,” a community financial literacy night. Money Matters brought together local businesses, banks, and financial experts, creating open, judgment-free conversations about money between families and financial institutions.
Nicole Feisst created a comprehensive and personalized financial simulation for her grade 11 and 12 students. Each learner built a financial profile before navigating a realistic, and sometimes unpredictable, simulation of adult economic life. Local professionals offered real-time advice, grounding the experience in real-world insight.
“Both Angela and Nicole’s projects are exemplary,” said Sharon Kozicki, Deputy Governor of the Bank of Canada. “What set their work apart this year was how they brought the wider community—including parents—into the learning process. They introduced economic and financial topics in ways that were grounded in real life, creating experiences that will have a lasting impact on the youth who participated.”
Each winner receives a trophy along with a personal cash prize of $1,000 and another $1,000 for their school. More information on this year’s winners is available on the Museum’s website.
Nominations came in from across the country and were reviewed by a selection committee made up of representatives from the Bank of Canada and other experts in the fields of economics and education, and a youth representative.
Nominations for next year’s award will open in early 2026.
Notes to editors
- The Bank of Canada Museum creatively brings the work of the central bank to Canadians by demystifying the Bank’s key functions and interpreting Canada’s monetary heritage. It also provides access to Canada’s National Currency Collection which is comprised of over 130,000 objects.
- The Museum supports teachers and students through free school programs, lesson plans and activities available on its Learn page.
- For more information about the Museum and its services, visit the website.