The Janusz Korczak Association of Canada is pleased to announce that Dr. Susan Burke, PhD, RSW, has been selected as the 2026 recipient of the Janusz Korczak Award for Distinguished Social Work Practice Protecting the Rights of Children, presented in partnership with the British Columbia Association of Social Workers (BCASW).

Dr. Burke is a member of Métis Nation British Columbia and an Associate Professor in the School of Social Work at the University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC). Before entering academia, she dedicated two decades to front-line child welfare practice, serving children, families, and communities throughout northern and northwestern British Columbia, including many rural and remote communities.

Throughout her career, Dr. Burke has combined outstanding social work practice with scholarship grounded in the lived realities of children and families. Her work has focused particularly on Indigenous child welfare, kinship care, and Indigenous social work practice and education. Through both her research and her teaching, she has championed approaches that strengthen children’s connections to family, culture, and community while supporting more equitable and culturally responsive child welfare systems.

Since joining UNBC in 2015, Dr. Burke has become a respected educator, researcher, and mentor. Her research has advanced understanding of Indigenous kinship care, the experiences of Indigenous families involved with child protection, and the preparation of future social workers committed to reconciliation and children’s wellbeing. Her scholarship consistently reflects the belief that meaningful child welfare must be grounded in relationships, respect, and community partnership.

The Janusz Korczak Award recognizes social workers whose careers embody the values of Dr. Janusz Korczak—respect for the dignity of every child, unwavering commitment to children’s rights, and compassionate advocacy for those whose voices are too often unheard. Dr. Burke’s distinguished career exemplifies these ideals through her dedication to protecting children while supporting families and communities in ways that honour Indigenous knowledge, traditions, and self-determination.

The Janusz Korczak Association of Canada extends its warmest congratulations to Dr. Susan Burke on this well-deserved recognition and thanks her for her outstanding contributions to advancing the rights and wellbeing of children across British Columbia and Canada.

The award is funded by Heidy and Charles Kux-Kardos in memory of Charles’ father Arpad Langfelder and his brother Isti, both murdered at Mathausen.