Meet Laurie.
Laurie is EduDeo's School Relationship Manager. She is responsible for engaging Canadian Christian schools with EduDeo's work and connecting them to our international partners.
Laurie joined our team in July 2020, after 10 years as a Science and Geography teacher at Guido de Brès Christian High School in Hamilton, Ontario. She previously served as the secretary of the Canadian Reformed World Relief Fund, won the John Rozema Award in 2018 for Excellence in Global Perspective Teaching, and does freelance photography in her spare time. Laurie is incredibly driven, highly motivated, and a strong leader. We are so grateful God provided Laurie to our team!
Learn more below about Laurie and her gifts, talents, and passion for EduDeo.
What should EduDeo's community know about you?
LK: Teachers should know that I can relate to them because I have likely had many similar experiences in my own years of teaching. I grew to love project-based learning, which involves a lot of messiness and challenges, but also often has immense rewards. Through these projects, I often partnered with organizations like EduDeo. I am humbled by the opportunity to now fill this new role as the bridge between Canadian schools and our international partners to advance the Gospel by promoting Christ-centered education.
What do you love about EduDeo?
LK: I love EduDeo’s focus on long-lasting transformation in communities, and how clearly they communicate education’s foundational role in impacting the next generation to be agents of change. In Canada, where we have easy access to education, we don’t always have a healthy appreciation for it. But seeing how education can impact communities in our partner countries and be a beacon of hope reminds us of the blessings we’ve been given.
I also love how EduDeo stresses that it is ultimately Christ-centered education that is necessary because the only thing that can change hearts is the Gospel. Lastly, I appreciate how EduDeo values partnership. Their strong relationships with international partners show how they understand the mutual edification that comes from collaborating together.
Who is a teacher that has inspired you?
LK: There have been many teachers who have inspired me, especially those I’ve had the pleasure of working with as colleagues. Educators in general are great to work with, and the team I got to know at Guido de Brès Christian High School were exceptionally diverse, talented, and passionate about their jobs. Everyone brought something different to the table and I was inspired by each one in different ways. It reminds me of how each student is given special gifts to use in the kingdom and how each is special in God’s eyes. I look forward to continuing to learn from other teachers as they partner with EduDeo.
What’s a random fact about you that not many people know?
LK: Many people know I am an avid boyband fan, but what fewer people know is that I fi lmed a music video with some f riends in high school, in which we lip synced to “I Want it That Way” by the Backstreet Boys. Shockingly and thankfully, the video has not resurfaced yet. Join EduDeo in our continued quest to unearth this video.
What can educators and partners contact you about?
School engagement for various school programs like Made to Thrive or Co-Impact teams
Educator engagement for programs like Discover and Learn
Seeking opportunities for class and who-school presentations - let's grow your global perspective, get to know more about EduDeo's work, and work together on class projects.
Contact Laurie at lkoning@edudeo.com to grow your school's global perspective!
