The Excellence in Teaching Awards Program was initiated in 1989 and developed by the Council on Alberta Teaching Standards further to the direction of the Minister of Education. The program was implemented as an annual program to: recognize outstanding Alberta teachers; honour creative, innovative and effective teaching; focus public attention on the teaching profession; and, involve Albertans in celebrating teaching excellence.

Starting in 1992, three corporations supported the Awards Program by contributing funds to cover a portion of the costs associated with it. By 1994 a total of six corporations including Xerox Canada, TELUS, the Calgary Herald, The Edmonton Journal, Syncrude Canada and the Alberta Chambers of Commerce were supporting the Program through direct monetary contributions or services in kind.

For the 2001 Awards Program, the Alberta Excellence in Teaching Foundation members were:

• Alberta Teachers' Association
• Alberta School Boards Association
• Association of Professional Engineers, Geologists and Geophysicists of Alberta (APEGGA)
• Fraser Milner Casgrain
• Syncrude Canada
• TELUS
• The Document Company, XEROX
• The Edmonton Journal

The Alberta Chambers of Commerce and the Calgary Herald were sponsors to the 2001 Awards Program.