Director of Education & CEO, Peel District School Board
Recipient of the Distinguished Education Leadership Award
A leader whose work quietly reshaped one of Canada's largest school boards — placing students at the centre of every decision, and opening doors that had long been closed.
There are certain people whose work quietly reshapes the world around them. They challenge us to think differently, to take bold action, and to believe more deeply in what is possible when leadership is anchored in service to others. Ms. Rashmi Swarup is one of those people.
Bringing forty years of experience in education globally, she joined the Peel District School Board as Director of Education and CEO — and, in just over five years, helped transform how a school system imagines opportunity. Her leadership opened doors for students in technology, healthcare, the skilled trades, entrepreneurship, artificial intelligence, and STEM, and made Peel a provincial leader in future-ready learning.
Importantly, those opportunities were intentionally created for students who have historically been underrepresented. Initiatives supporting girls in STEM, and students from diverse backgrounds, ensured that more young people could see themselves reflected in spaces where they truly belong.
Talent is universal, but opportunity is not. The thesis of her leadership
Under Ms. Swarup's leadership, partnerships with universities, colleges, and industry leaders — Microsoft, Google, Oracle Academy, Toronto Metropolitan University, and the University of Toronto Mississauga — opened doors for students into technology, healthcare, the skilled trades, entrepreneurship, artificial intelligence, and STEM.
She has also been a strong champion of Peel's collaboration with CKSTEM. Through this partnership, educators participated in professional learning sessions that deepened their understanding of the program and strengthened their capacity to support student success — preparing students for a rapidly changing world while ensuring belonging and opportunity along the way.
Ms. Swarup personally presented Student Excellence Awards to two CKSTEM honourees whose achievements this year stood out across the country.
The Excellence Award for winning the Canadian Mathematical Olympiad and earning a place on Canada's team to the International Mathematical Olympiad — an achievement reached by a handful of students each year.
The Excellence Award marking admission to seven Canadian medical programs — an outcome that opens every door at once, and is rarer still for a single applicant in any given year.
Ms. Swarup presented the Best School awards — institutional recognition for the four schools whose students achieved the most across the six Canadian Innovation Contests.
Leadership for me is about building relationships by listening to all voices and understanding perspectives, and leading with integrity, compassion, transparency and accountability.
— Rashmi Swarup, on becoming Director of Education, Peel District School Board (2021)
Gold, Silver, Bronze, and Honor recipients across art, computing, math, public speaking, science, and writing — the full 2026 results.
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