Category Archives: POH_news

July 1, 2017: “Reframing #Canada150 in the Context of Truth and Reconciliation”

July 1, 2017 Admin Leave a comment

This past spring Curriculum Services Canada invited Project of Heart’s Charlene Bearhead to speak about her work in the field of reconciliation. Charlene is the former Education Lead for the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation and is the current Education Coordinator for the MMIW inquiry.

Here’s Curriculum Service’s CEO Amy Coupal talking about the powerful impact of Charlene’s address:

I had the privilege of hearing Charlene Bearhead speak at an international education conference in Ottawa earlier this year. She blew me away, and frankly the whole audience, too. She challenged and enlightened me and I’ve harkened back to her message many times. As we’ve been thinking and learning about Canada 150, we asked Charlene to share her thoughts. Take a look at her guest blog post…

After you click the link and read the post, we’d be eager to here *your* reflections on the meaning of #Canada150 in the comments section below.

POH_news, _Quebec

Quebec POH teacher innovates with buddy system

June 10, 2017 Admin Leave a comment

This amazing CBC report features long-time Project of Heart teacher Lisa Powell from Pierre Elliot Trudeau Elementary in Gatineau who explains how she pairs local seniors with her own young learners from James Bay and Kitiganzibi.

One of the most gripping moments is realizing that the “senior buddies” are hearing the story of Jordan River Anderson for the the first time; the saga of how one child was forced to live his entire life in a hospital bed because no level of government would agree to pay for his home care is a shameful blot on Canada’s reputation and not one the Federal government is eager to discuss. So schoolchildren just a few short blocks away from INAC headquarters are telling the story instead.

And while we are talking about Jordan, here is a link to the Broadbent Institute’s petition calling on the Federal government to respect the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal rulings that Canada must cease discriminatory practices against Indigenous children.

Eastern Ontario, Ottawa and Area, POH_news, Post-Secondary, _Ontario

“Teachers teaching teachers” uOttawa’s Faculty of Education embraces Project of Heart

June 9, 2017 Admin Leave a comment

April 24, 2017 was a special day for the Education Faculty at the University of Ottawa as experienced educators joined with BEd. Teacher Candidates to “teach them how to teach” Project of Heart to their future students. It was a “Teachers Teaching Teachers” seminar.

The seminar was organized by the Faculty of Education’s Director of Teacher Education, Dr. Nicholas Ng-A-Fook. Nicholas was aware of the strength of Project of Heart from past presentations, and this past term he created the opportunity to offer it as part of a teacher training symposium.

The Teacher Candidates heard the stories from survivors Mary Lou Iahtail and Chris Herodier Snowboy and were given detailed guidance on how to offer Project of Heart. Continue reading “Teachers teaching teachers” uOttawa’s Faculty of Education embraces Project of Heart →

POH_news, Winnipeg, _Manitoba

#TBT : CBC and Project of Heart at The Forks

May 25, 2017 Admin Leave a comment

June 2017 will mark seven years since the First National Event of the historic Truth and Reconciliation Commission was held at The Forks in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

Project of Heart was invited to exhibit, and soon the Manitoba Theatre for Young People was hosting 6 ooo decorated Project of Heart tiles.

Visitors learned about the Indian Residential Schools, visited and spoke with Survivors, and participated in social justice actions through signing petitions and writing letters.

Thank you CBC for covering this event and thank you to the IRS Survivors who, through the Truth and Reconciliation Commission brought Project of Heart to Canadians everywhere.

British Columbia, POH_news

It’s spring – have you planted your Heart Garden?

Video May 2, 2017 Admin Leave a comment

The Caring Society have just released their PSAs for this spring’s Heart Garden campaign. You’ll be impressed with just how articulate the young learners participating are; it’s been said so often before but it’s still so true — nobody *gets* injustice like young people do.

For proof, here’s gorgeous Heart Garden recently created in Spuzzum, BC, through BCTF’s “Remembering Gladys” initiative. More of the amazing images can be seen here.

Eastern Ontario, Ottawa and Area, POH_news, _Ontario

A Student’s Dream: Westboro Academy Welcomes Project of Heart

March 9, 2017 Admin Leave a comment

The students and staff at Ottawa’s Westboro Academy were honoured by the visit of a very special guest this past month, and they have a grade 5 student at the school by the name of Leo to thank for the event.

Leo realized the value in bringing Project of Heart to his school after he had seen IRS survivor Mary Lou Iahtail speak last year. He wanted his classmates to have the chance to hear her story too, and for his school to take part in reconciliation event. Continue reading A Student’s Dream: Westboro Academy Welcomes Project of Heart →

POH_news, Post-Secondary, _Quebec

Bishops Education students create the first permanent acknowledgment of Abenaki territory

December 1, 2016 Admin Leave a comment

Professor Lisa Taylor from Bishops University laid down a major challenge for Project of Heart participants from her Education program, and it arose from a observation made by Charlene Bearhead, Education Lead with the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation (NCTR):

“Charlene said she was astounded to visit Bishop’s, to spend a whole day here, without seeing anything to recognize Abenaki territory”, Taylor told POH. Continue reading Bishops Education students create the first permanent acknowledgment of Abenaki territory →

Muskokas, POH_news, _Ontario

When consensus-building is beautiful: Barrie Learning Commons has a special gift

July 1, 2016 Admin Leave a comment

They made a what? Teacher Caroline Leppanen from Hewitt’s Creek Public School in Barrie, Ontario delighted us with her learners’ amazing creativity in this inspiring report:

My grade 6 class spent a great deal of time inquiring about Truth and Reconciliation, First Nations circle teachings, Grandfather teachings, and residential schools. We have completed our Project of Heart! And are excited to share it with you!

We will hold a dedication ceremony in September.We have shared our process via Twitter @leppanens_world

Our plan? The table will be placed in our Learning Commons. It will be a place for groups to come when they need to arrive at a consensus. It will be a place for people to come when they are in need of a restorative session. Its tiles all tell a story of my students’ learning. They will share these stories at the dedication ceremony.

Editor’s note: We’ve add the Hewitt’s Creek photos to our albums page at https://www.flickr.com/photos/projectofheart/albums — it’s a great place to see how educators across Canada have incorporated POH tiles and artifacts in their classroom.

POH_news

“Reconciliation is when a feud is finally over”

May 20, 2016 Admin Leave a comment

In this video for the Caring Society, Summer Bisson — one of the students from the first-ever school to do Project of Heart (Elizabeth Wyn Wood Alternate Site, in Ottawa) –talks about what reconciliation means to her and the day her class went to court to see Cindy Blackstock make the case for Indigenous children across Canada who were – and still are — being denied access to services and quality of life other Canadians take for granted”.

Eastern Ontario, OCDSB, Ottawa and Area, POH_news, Post-Secondary, Workshops, _Ontario

Project of Heart a valuable resource for Day of Remembrance and Action on Mass Atrocities Youth Conference

April 27, 2016 Admin Leave a comment

Two high school history teachers from the Ottawa Carleton District School Board recently brought Project of Heart to 60 students from across the National Capital area who had gathered to learn about genocide.

Kim Bruton and Amanda Anderson were presenting at the 3rd annual National Day of Remembrance and Action on Mass Atrocities Youth Conference at Carleton University in Ottawa. Project of Heart was invited to be part of the day’s program in order to recognize the Indian Residential School era and the vast number of Indigenous children affected by Canada’s “hidden genocide” – a cultural genocide which was meant to “kill the Indian within the child”, and that all too often killed the child as well. Continue reading Project of Heart a valuable resource for Day of Remembrance and Action on Mass Atrocities Youth Conference →