A longtime Ottawa Catholic School Board educator has received provincial recognition for her contribution to French as a Second Language education in Ontario.

Canadian Parents for French Ontario has named Amy Van Brabant the 2026 recipient of the McGillivray Award, which each year recognizes an education leader who has shown a strong commitment to advancing French-language learning across the province.

According to the Ottawa Catholic School Board, Van Brabant has spent more than two decades helping OCSB students and teachers build confidence in French and view bilingualism as something they can carry well beyond their school years.

The award, established in 1987, honours the memory of Russ McGillivray and his work in developing FSL education in Ontario.

From immersion student to system leader

Van Brabant's connection to the award is personal. As a student, she was part of an early late French immersion cohort in western Ottawa, an experience that helped shape her career path.

She went on to teach French immersion and core French from Grades 4 to 12 before moving into system-level leadership with the board. As an OCSB FSL consultant, she worked to strengthen French-language learning in elementary and secondary schools by supporting educators, expanding access to the DELF exam, and leading professional learning on current FSL teaching practices.

Her work also included co-leading the Eastern Region CEFR Team, supporting examiner training across Eastern Ontario, and bringing opportunities such as the French Café and the Concours d'art oratoire to OCSB students and families.

The board says a central goal across all of that work has been helping students use French with confidence, purpose and pride.

Partnership and next steps

Van Brabant's efforts also helped strengthen the board's partnership with Canadian Parents for French Ontario. Over the past five years, that collaboration has supported parent workshops, teacher recruitment initiatives, cultural performances and other opportunities for students to experience French outside the classroom.

She is now beginning a new role as assistant manager of the Ontario DELF Centre, where she will help expand authentic French-language proficiency pathways for students, strengthen support for FSL educators and school board leads, and work to ensure all learners — including students with special education needs — can recognize the value of their bilingual journey.

The board says her new position will extend the impact of her experience beyond the OCSB to students across Ontario.