Home >> About Us >> BCCPAC Awards >> Life Member Award Winner

2011 Life Member Award – Catherine Abraham

Catherine (Cathy) Abraham embodies all the best qualities of a BCCPAC parent and volunteer. She constantly encourages and mentors parents to inform and strengthen the parent voice in our public education system.  Her list of credentials is amazing and impressive - working for students and parents at the PAC, DPAC, BCCPAC, provincial and federal levels. She is a tireless worker, a strong and intelligent voice, an eloquent writer, and she regularly contributes all of these towards the betterment of students and parents.  Cathy has chaired and served on countless committees, authored influential reports and documents, created resources for parents to help students, and represented parents honourably at all levels. Cathy’s wise counsel is regularly sought by parents far and wide, by PAC and DPAC Chairs, BCCPAC Boards, Ministers of Education, and national educational leaders.

Cathy Abraham continues to affect positive change in public education through her often-behind-the-scenes work in providing assistance and support in drafting programs and educational resources.  Cathy has written several handbooks for parents so they too can be actively engaged in their child’s learning. When writing these handbooks she seeks out the professional expertise, research and best practise to ensure that she is providing the best information on any topic. Every BC parent has benefitted from her work and we owe her a great debt, for which she has never expected to be recognized.  She is a dedicated facilitator for improvement in public education, quality of life and supporting a healthy school environment for all students.

Cathy is truly passionate and inspired about public education in our province; she wants the best for all students and has the knowledge as an informed parent to help others be leaders in their own quests. For Cathy, equity in public education is second to none in an inclusive setting using best practice as a means to good teaching and learning.  She has the fortitude and common sense to turn challenges into opportunities. She puts the students at the focus of any issue and works collaboratively with the educational partners to provide parents with the tools and knowledge they need to be actively involved in their child’s learning on all topics – be it health, social skills or reading - from kindergarten through to graduation and beyond.