John Trites photo: Nancy Ackerman

TO SAY THAT JOHN TRITES lives and breathes geography is no exaggeration. When he is not teaching geography at Horton High School in Wolfville, N.S., he is writing textbooks, collaborating with the provincial Department of Education on curriculum planning or speaking at workshops all over North America. Little wonder that the 46-year-old father of four regularly works until the wee hours of the morning.

Trites’ commitment to his students and his tireless efforts to promote the teaching of geography have been recognized with the first annual Geographic Literacy Award, presented by the Canadian Council for Geographic Education. The $5,000 (U.S.) prize — split equally between the recipient and an educational institution of his or her choice — is donated by the Grosvenor Canadian Geography Education Fund.

Trites’ passion for geography hasn’t waned during his more than 20-year career, and he continues to inspire his students. Mark Smith, a graduate of Horton’s class of 2000, is now studying at the Centre of Geographic Sciences in Lawrencetown, N.S. “He presented geography in a way that was interesting. It was hands-on, learning by doing,” says the 18-year-old. “When I took his grade 11 geography course, I knew instantly that that was what I wanted to do.”

- Monique Roy-Sole