A Brockville teacher known for thinking outside the box has been honoured with the Premier’s Teacher of the Year Award.

Brent Robillard, 38, an international studies teacher at Thousand Islands Secondary School (TISS), received the honour Wednesday during a ceremony in Toronto acknowledging recipients of the Premier’s Awards for Teaching Excellence.

Robillard said he was humbled by the honour.

“It feels very flattering,” he said. “You never go into your career thinking about awards. You’re concentrating on your work – what you need to do the next day in class or during the following week. It (winning) really threw me for a loop.”

Robillard was given the award for his unique teaching style and innovating programming.

He is best known at TISS as co-coordinator of the International Studies Program. The specialized program involves four years of French immersion in which students study a variety of courses including history and civics as well as international aid and development. They also study Spanish.

The program culminates in a two-week humanitarian aid placement for students in Nicaragua. Students travel to Nandaime, Nicaragua to work on a communal farm. Students have also fundraised to help make improvements in the area, including to build a water tower so residents have access to a clean water supply.

A few years ago, Robillard was involved in a unique project with TISS Visual Arts teacher David Sheridan. The two teachers’ classes produced a small book called Dive Brockville that contained information on historic wrecks in the area that are popular with divers. Sheridan’s art class produced the artwork for the book, while Robillard’s writer’s craft course helped research and write the text.

Robillard is a published author of the 2004 book Leaving Wyoming, which was listed in the top five best first works list in the Globe and Mail that year. In 2006, he followed with Houdini’s Shadow.

TISS Principal Randy Ruttan said the recognition for Robillard was well-deserved.

“He does a wonderful job with the International Studies program,” said Ruttan. “ It was through his vision that that program came to fruition. You can use absolutely any superlative you want to describe Brent. He is an outstanding teacher.”

Robillard is married to TISS teacher Caroline Bergeron. The Athens couple has two children –  daughter Maija, 11 and son Sebastien, 7.

He has been teaching at TISS for seven years. Before that he worked for six years at Smiths Falls District Collegiate Institute.