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This Tuesday! September 28th 4pm Pacific / 7pm Eastern Just in time to add to your resources and curriculum for National Truth and Reconciliation Day (Sept. 30th), Indigenous Peoples Day (October 11th), and National Native American Heritage Month of November, join us for a webinar with esteemed Indigenous educator, Jo Chrona. If Not Here, Then Where? Indigenous Education in Canada Learn: Why Indigenous education is NOT part of a multicultural framework Why it is important to use authentic Indigenous Resources to learn both about and from Indigenous peoples and where to find freely available authentic Indigenous resources. How Indigenous education has positively impacted education for all learners in BC through the framework of First Peoples Principles of Learning and what those principles include. REGISTER HERE More information on our October and November Mosaic Sessions HERE |
Canada positions itself as a country made up of a cultural mosaic rather than a cultural melting pot; varied elements of ethnicity, culture, racial identity and language living side by side. Join K-16 teachers in this FREE Workshop webinar series, designed to give educators a historic context of elements of the Canadian mosaic, including:
- African-Canadian history – what happened after African-Americans crossed into Canada on the Underground Railroad?
- Indigenous human rights and resilience
- Métis culture – how did this rich culture help build Canada – and the USA?
- Fresh ways to teach Government and Civics
But more than just an overview, each free one-hour webinar – available as a series or stand-alone – will provide tools and resources to help educators effectively and accurately integrate the topics into their curriculum. Go straight from the webinar to your classroom!
REGISTER FOR THE WHOLE SERIES HERE!
SCHEDULE |
April 27, 2021 | 7:00pm EDT – Natasha Henry, Black Canadian History
April 28, 2021 | 4:00pm EDT – Natasha Henry, Black Canadian History
May 4, 2021 | 7:00pm EDT – Civix.ca – Civics Education
May 5, 2021 | 4:00pm EDT – Civix.ca – Civics Education
May 11, 2021 | 7:00pm EDT – Museum of Human Rights – Human Rights in Canada
May 12, 2021 | 4:00pm EDT – Museum of Human Rights – Indigenous Rights and Reconciliation in Canada
May 18, 2021 | 7:00pm EDT – Robert McDonald, Métis history and culture
May 19, 2021 | 4:00pm EDT – Robert McDonald, Métis history and culture
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SESSION 1
April 27, 2021 | 7:00pm EST
‘I Had Heard that Canada Was a Land of Liberty’: African Americans Pursue Freedom in Canada During the 19th Century”
Natasha Henry (teachingafricancanadianhistory.weebly.com)
Through the examination of individual and community profiles, this presentation will also explore how Black settlers defined the idea of freedom and the ways in which they agitated for equality and full freedom in their daily lives with the aim of improving their communities and the country we now call Canada.
SESSION 2
April 28, 2021 | 4:00pm EST
Ideas, Pedagogy, and Resources for Teaching African-North American History
Presenter: Natasha Henry (teachingafricancanadianhistory.weebly.com)
Participants will learn how to teach more fully and factually about African-Canadian and African-American history in the founding and development of North America through an anti-racist lens. Resources that can be taken straight into your classroom and deepen the lessons in your History classes will be shared.
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SESSION 3 and 4 are presented by CIVIX.CA
CIVIX is a non-partisan charitable organization dedicated to building the habits and skills of active citizenship among young Canadians. Our flagship program, Student Vote is a parallel election held in classrooms across the country alongside general elections. Student Vote uses the election as a teachable moment to enable teachers to bring democracy alive in their classrooms. During the 2019 federal election, 1.2 million students cast a ballot after learning about the electoral process from CIVIX’s curriculum materials.
Session 3
Tuesday May 4, 2021 | 7:00pm ED
Informed Citizens: Equipping Students to Evaluate Information in an Online World
Presenters: Clara Bradley & Jessica Johnston
This session will introduce participants to CIVIX programming with an emphasis on our informed citizenship curriculum. CIVIX has been at the forefront of developing information literacy programming for the Canadian context that aims to build the foundational skills to aid youth in seeking out accurate and credible information online, and support informed decision-making as citizens in a democracy.
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SESSION 4
Wednesday May 5, 2021 | 4:00pm EDT
Student Vote, Student Voice: Engaging Students in Canadian Elections and Democracy
Presenters: Clara Bradley & Kim Davidson
CIVIX is a non-partisan charitable organization dedicated to building the habits and skills of active citizenship among young Canadians. Our flagship program, Student Vote is a parallel election held in classrooms across the country alongside general elections. Student Vote uses the election as a teachable moment to enable teachers to bring democracy alive in their classrooms. During the 2019 federal election, 1.2 million students cast a ballot after learning about the electoral process from CIVIX’s curriculum materials.
This session will introduce participants to CIVIX programming and offer tools and tips to support American educators teaching about Canadian governance and active citizenship in their own classrooms.
Citizens living in a democracy have guaranteed rights and freedoms, and these rights come with responsibilities. How can you teach your students about the political process and help foster a strong and inclusive democracy where all young people are ready, willing and able to participate – right from the classroom? CIVIX is a non-partisan, national registered charity dedicated to building the skills and habits of active and engaged citizenship among young Canadians.
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SESSION 5
May 11, 2021 | 7:00pm EDT
Canadian Journeys
Lise Pinkos, Canadian Museum for Human Rights (https://humanrights.ca/)
This session will provide an introduction – and virtual field trip – to the Canadian Museum for Human Rights, focusing in particular on how we use stories to connect students to the Canadian human rights journey, both past and present. Participants will also learn about resources offered by the Museum that can support human rights education in the classroom.
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SESSION 6
May 12, 2021 | 4:00pm EDT
Truth and Reconciliation through Human Rights Education
Lise Pinkos, Canadian Museum for Human Rights (https://humanrights.ca/)
This session will examine how the Canadian Museum for Human Rights has approached the development of education programs focused on Indigenous rights. We will share the approach we take with students of all ages to start with the truth and work towards reconciliation in a way that demonstrates respect for Indigenous Peoples and their rights.
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Session 7
May 18, 2021 | 7:00pm EDT
Métis History and Culture
Rob McDonald (https://www.metisincanada.com/)
Métis are one of Canada’s founding indigenous peoples, located mostly in Western Canada and parts of the United States. Robert McDonald, who is a Métis historian and cultural educator, will introduce the Métis culture by sharing his family and community including Métis celebrations, music and language. Perfect for teachers looking to expand their Indigenous curriculum and French teachers as well.
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Session 8
May 19, 2021 | 4:00pm EDT
Métis Nation Builders
Rob McDonald (https://www.metisincanada.com/)
What was the role of the Métis in the formation of Canada – and even the United States? Robert McDonald, who is a Métis historian and cultural educator, will discuss the politics and movements, including Louis Riel and the Red River Rebellion. How do those early bids for liberty play out in politics and government today? What was the role of the Hudson Bay Trading Company in settling North America? How does the modern Métis nation integrate into national politics now? Learn about the past and future of the Métis nation and people, ideal for Human Geography, Geography, History, and Government educators and anyone looking to expand their knowledge of Indigenous groups.
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PRESENTER BIOS
CIVIX.CA
CIVIX is a non-partisan, national registered charity dedicated to building the skills and habits of active and engaged citizenship among young Canadians. Our vision is a strong and inclusive democracy where all young people are ready, willing and able to participate. CIVIX was born through a merger between Operation Dialogue and Student Vote – two non-partisan organizations with a significant history of engaging Canadian youth. Student Vote was founded by Taylor Gunn and Lindsay Mazzucco in 2002 to develop the capacity for informed and engaged citizenship among young Canadians.
Natasha Henry (teachingafricancanadianhistory.weebly.com)
Natasha Henry is an educator, historian, and curriculum consultant. She is the president of the Ontario Black History Society. Natasha Henry is currently completing a PhD in History at York University, researching the enslavement of African people in early Ontario. Through her various professional, academic, and community roles, Natasha’s work is grounded in her commitment to research, collect, preserve, and disseminate the histories of Black Canadians
Clara Bradley
Clara Bradley is the Data and Research Analyst at CIVIX. In this role she conducts research, reporting, and data management in support of civic education curriculum development and program delivery. Clara holds a Master’s degree in Public Policy and Administration and has work experience in both government and educational settings.
Jessica Johnston
Jessica Johnston is the Director of News Literacy Programming at CIVIX, a national education charity dedicated to building the habits of informed citizenship among youth. Jessica leads the organization’s CTRL-F program, which equips teachers with engaging tools and resources to help students evaluate the sources and claims they see online.Kim Davidson
Kim Davidson is an elementary-level teacher librarian and media literacy specialist with over 20 years of teaching experience at the Toronto District School Board. She has been working with CIVIX since 2011.
Graham Lowe (Graham.Lowe@humanrights.ca)
Graham Lowes is passionate about creating learning experiences for students that encourage critical thinking, are student driven and address “real world” problems in authentic and tangible ways. A former classroom teacher, Graham is now the Senior Digital Education Specialist and began his work with the Canadian Museum for Human Rights as the Educator in Residence in 2017 where he has contributed to a wide variety of education programs, focusing on reaching students and teachers through digital platforms. He has been working with adolescents in formal and informal learning environments since the early 2000’s, including over 10 years in middle years classrooms.
A graduate of the University of Winnipeg, Graham holds a Bachelor of Arts in Geography and a Bachelor of Education. Graham loves spending time outdoors with his young family, particularly when those adventures take them into the mountains. He also dabbles in furniture design, has planted too many trees to count, and enjoys a good cup of coffee.
Robert McDonald (https://www.metisincanada.com/)
My Métis family roots go back to Fort Pelly, Saskatchewan and the Duck Bay/Camperville region in central Manitoba. I am told, my grandfather had one of the largest trap lines in Manitoba to raise a family of seven. My European roots stem from Scotland.
I have presented my ‘Métis in Canada: past to present’ education seminars to thousands of federal public servants within the Government of Canada and grade 6 to 12 students, teachers and administrators across Ontario, cultural groups, industry, corporate and various levels of government. During my presentations, besides exploring Métis history, culture, court challenges and the current political state of affairs, I also share my art, poetry, videos and personal family history to make for an informative, enjoyable, and interactive discussion.
It is an honour to have an opportunity to talk about my Métis roots, the history of the Métis Nation, and support of our Métis leaders.This is my way of giving back, and paying tribute to our ancestors who have helped to blaze the trail, some of whom made the ultimate sacrifice.
Lise Pinkos (Lise.pinkos@humanrights.ca)
Lise Pinkos is a proud Franco-Manitoban and holds a Bachelors of Arts degree and a Master of Education degree, both from L’Université de Saint-Boniface. Her studies focused on human rights education and how students can learn about human rights to become engaged in taking action for human rights.