Aaron Guthrie

EDUCATOR

🌟 ROLE: Healthy Active Living Teacher 

📍 NATION: Thunder Bay, Ontario 

📚 SCHOOLS: Dennis Franklin Cromarty High School 

🏛️ DIVISION: Northern Nishnawbe Education Council 

Aaron Guthrie is a dedicated educator who leads by building meaningful relationships and modelling the behaviours he teaches. For 17 years at Dennis Franklin Cromarty (DFC) High School in Thunder Bay, he has shaped a Healthy Active Living program grounded in a simple belief: young people thrive when they are supported to connect, move, and grow together. 

From the beginning, Aaron saw an opportunity to create something meaningful for students, many of whom come from remote First Nations across Northern Ontario. He focused on building spaces where physical activity, wellbeing, and relationships are deeply connected through experiential learning. As he explains, “students need the opportunity to move their bodies… but they also need the mental health, [and] the relationships." 

At the core of his work is a commitment to getting to know each student, noting that “we get to understand what the kids are struggling with, and what they're succeeding with, and to build some really close personal relationships.” Over time, these relationships extend beyond the classroom and beyond graduation. 

“By the end of the semester, I'm playing a role as a part-time teacher, part-time parent, part-time friend, part-time mentor, part-time coach. We wear a lot of different hats, but [that’s typical with] small class sizes and deep personal relationships.” 

Aaron’s commitment to the community extends beyond the school: he also helps with the Wake the Giant Festival, a multi-day experience that welcomes students to Thunder Bay and fosters connection across the city. Created with school staff and community partners, the festival brings together music, mentorship, activities, and other shared experiences. As Aaron describes it, the goal is to “rally the community to make this place safe and welcoming for the youth that are coming to the city,” using connection and celebration to create a stronger, more inclusive environment. 

Aaron values partnerships that expand opportunities for young people. At the most recent Spirit North ski festival, he saw that his students were able to “come out of their shell and try cross-country skiing and sit with some elders and learn about how to prepare bear grease” while reconnecting with “that feeling of home.” 

His approach to all of this work is rooted in openness and respect. “I lead with a lot of transparency… to allow the kids to be able to open up and feel comfortable sharing,” he explains. His classroom is a place where students feel safe to be themselves, where a trusted adult leads by example. "I never ask the kids to do anything I wouldn’t do with them,” Aaron says. Whether in the classroom or out on the land, he participates alongside students, reflecting the values he teaches.