ACGC Teach Winter 2014
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Transcript of ACGC Teach Winter 2014
Christina Kuzyk is a music teacher at
Ben Calf Robe – St. Clare School in
Edmonton, AB, where she works with
students from
First Nations
communities.
Christina has
always had a
strong passion
for learning
about and en-
couraging global
citizenship. During her time at MacE-
wan University, she was an active par-
ticipant in the Walk for Darfur as well
as part of the Project HOPE Interna-
tional Development brigade, which
travelled to Nicaragua to work with an
Indigenous community in the Bosawas
Biosphere. Christina is also presently a
member of Ceiba Association, a local
nonprofit organization in Edmonton
dedicated to educating and empower-
ing students on the concept of global
citizenship. All of these experiences
have not only influenced Christina’s
teaching method but also the way that
she lives her every day life.
Throughout her teaching experience,
Christina has found that students are
drawn to the idea of global citizen-
ship and are interested in learning
about others. They feel an inherent
connection and curiosity to others,
regardless of skin color or language.
Students want to learn about others
and make sure that the world is a
safe and caring place for all. She
believes the best way to encourage
students’ interest and motivation
towards global citizenship is to
make meaningful connections. In
her classroom, global citizenship is
an active topic. Students have had
opportunities to participate in vari-
ous activities that foster that sense
of connection, including creating
and painting a large mural showcas-
ing Aboriginal culture while working
with a mural artist from Nicaragua
and writing and receiving letters
from students in the Indigenous
community of San Andres in the
Bosawas Biosphere in Nicaragua.
Christina frequently brings guests to
International Development Week - Youth Day
her classroom to share stories of
their experiences abroad and
working across cultures with her
students.
Some of the most impactful activi-
ties have been in the everyday.
Christina believes that educators
need to lead by example – the
only way you can really make
change is by first changing your-
self. Students ask questions, crave
experience, storytelling and dis-
cussion. They have many ques-
tions about issues that don’t make
sense to them and don’t seem
alright, and the most important
thing a teacher can do is to allow
students to share their voices.
When a child feels that they can
share their concerns, thoughts,
and feelings about an issue it al-
lows them to open up to new
ideas and to take on a new per-
spective. Oftentimes students
have the passion; they simply
need the confidence, encourage-
ment, and support of another to
feel empowered to share their
voice. For many of her students,
Christina is that source of sup-
port and encouragement.
Educator Profile: Christina Kuzyk
ACGC invites you to register your class for Youth Day
2014 for FREE! Scheduled for Thursday, January 30th,
2014 in conjunction with the University of Alberta’s Inter-
national Week, Youth Day is an opportunity for Grade 10
-12 students to step into a post-secondary environment
and, with facilitation by experts in the field, address issues
that are both immediate and controversial. Workshops and
activities are designed to be meaningful and interactive and
to provide students with a forum for constructive dialogue
about important social justice issues.
The goals of Youth Day include exposing youth to basic
and important international development concepts, chal-
lenging youth in their perceptions of international devel-
opment, reinforcing youth social networks by meeting
new people, and empowering youth to take action and
work towards their own vision of social change.
Registration is free and lunch is provide.
For more information, or to register your class click here
or visit the ACGC website at www.acgc.ca
V O L U M E 6
WINTER 2014 A PUBLICATION OF THE ALBERTA COUNCIL FOR GLOBAL COOPERATION
ACGC Change Your World Peru
participant Ross Anderson was re-
cently interviewed by Moon Publica-
tions, a company that publishes books
on international travel opportunities.
He shared some insights about his
experience with ACGC and Sombrilla
in Peru in July 2012.
Below is an excerpt from his inter-
view about his stay in a community
called Vicos, where the tour spent
time with families, organized by an
organization called the
Respons Sustainable
Tourism Centre
(www.respons.org)
What was a high-
light of the experi-
ence?
As part of our
homestay in Vicos
with Respons, we helped build stoves
with our host families. In North
America, there is a disconnect be-
tween the products we use every day
and the actual creation of those
products. The time, effort, and
knowledge that goes into building a
stove, especially with the materials at
hand, is one that cannot be under-
stated.
Also, in Vicos, I noticed the lack of
lighting and electricity—there was
one single light bulb, and it was in the
kitchen. The positive effect of this
one light bulb was enormous: allow-
ing a family to accomplish meaningful
tasks after dark is a powerful impact.
What did you take away from
the experience?
In Vicos, I realized that culture and
tradition are things that are extreme-
ly precious and valuable but also easi-
An Interview with Ross Anderson P A G E 2
ly lost. It forced me to think about
what is happening in my own
country, and about why culture is
important: It reminds us where we
come from and who we are. It
brings us together, makes us fami-
ly, and gives us purpose as a com-
munity.
Was there a downside to your
experience?
Every part of the experience in
Vicos was valuable - the good and
the bad. Nothing is without a neg-
ative, but when it is seen as an
experience to learn from, there is
no real negative.
For the full interview, and more
information about organizations
and projects in Latin America,
check out Moon Volunteer Vacations
in Latin America by Amy E. Robertson
(available on Amazon.ca)
JHC is also proud to be a certified facilitator of
UNICEF Canada's Rights Respecting School (RRS) initiative! As a school-wide approach, RRS
encourages schools to use the United Nations on the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) as a tool
to inform school policy, practice, and philosophy. As a RRS lead agency, JHC is dedicated to helping schools
become more respectful and peaceful learning environ-ments for students and adults through the implementa-tion of the CRC. The RRS initiative has been proven to
complement existing school policies and practices as it has simultaneously helped schools achieve higher rates
of student achievement, lower absenteeism, and higher rates of teacher satisfaction. JHC is dedicated to making
Alberta a leading province in promoting student devel-opment and engagement through a rights-based ap-
proach and we would love to have you join us in this inspirational movement.
Please visit
www.jhcentre.org or email [email protected]
for more information on how you can bring both of
these exciting initiatives to your classroom and school.
The JHC is proud to announce the successful launch of our
newest education program, Free2BeYOUth!
In partnership with (IN)spired, this youth inclusion initiative aims to inspire marginalized youth and their peers to spear-
head meaningful change in their schools and broader commu-nities. As these junior and senior high school youth learn about the issues faced by specific marginalized student groups
(such as youth with disabilities, LGBTQ youth, aboriginal youth, and immigrants and refugees), students collectively
work towards the understanding and appreciation of each and every individual.
As a way of eliminating barriers that keep students from expe-
riencing inclusion, JHC and (IN)spired will provide resources and deliver workshops to F2BY clubs in schools across the
province to ensure that awareness, discussion, and action on critical issues are addressed so that we can all progress to-
wards becoming a more inclusive society.
For the first time, in 2014, the Gandhi Foundation will be pro-
moting The Season for Nonviolence which marks the 64
days between January 30, the
anniversary date of Gandhi’s
assassination and April 4, the
date when Martin Luther
King Jr. was assassinated.
The purpose of the Season is
to focus education and com-
munity action on attaining
peace and justice in the spirit
of Gandhi and King. The
Season teaches that every person can move the world forward
in the direction of peace through daily nonviolent choices and
actions. Stay tuned for events scheduled throughout the Season
for Nonviolence by visiting www.gandhifoundation.ca.
P A G E 3 V O L U M E 6
Ghost River Rediscovery—Summer Camps Ghost River Rediscovery (GRR)
provides a one-of-a-kind opportunity
for its participants to experience a
program like no other. GRR camps
are based on the strengths and
teachings of Indigenous cul-
tures, and through the use of Rites
of Passage, provide opportunities for
self-growth, leadership development,
connection to nature, and cross cul-
tural sharing that leads to greater self-
awareness and knowledge of place.
Having fun and playing games is a seri-
ous business at GRR’s summer pro-
grams. GRR youth camps, for kids 8-
18, are set in one the most beautiful
places on earth.
Connection is at the core of what
GRR does. Participants are taken on a
journey that explores their connec-
tions to themselves, to nature, and to
culture. GRR Elders, who come from
local First Nations, share the teach-
ings of the peoples who have called
the land home for thousands of
years.
For the summer of 2014, GRR will be
offering 8 youth camps between June
30 and August 29. This snapshot
video is a great inside look to the
camps!
For more information, visit
ghostriverrediscovery.com, or phone
403-270-9351.
CBE International Youth
Leadership Summit
More Opportunities! Calgary City Teachers’ Convention—February 13-14, 2014
Join ACGC as we present two sessions at CCTCA this year. Building International School Partnerships will explore some of the es-
sential elements of a successful international school partnership, and how that partnership can contribute to global education in
your classroom and school. The Power of Media explores concepts of media messaging, offering tools for educators to encourage
students to be successful agents of social change with the ability to recognize, address and challenge systems of oppression dis-
played through different mediums of media. Check out www.cctca.com to find out when and where we’ll be presenting!
Alberta Council for Environmental Education: Earth Matters Conference
Join ACEE in Canmore Alberta on April 24-26 for their exciting Earth Matters conference. The conference promises to provide
inspirational speakers, relevant workshops, and ample opportunities for you to work with other educators in a community of
practice that is directly relevant to your work—because the Earth Matters. For more information, visit www.abcee.org
The Mahatma Gandhi Canadian
Foundation for World Peace The Calgary Board of Education's annual International Youth
Leadership Summit gathers students from across the city and
from different corners of the globe to discuss matters of local
and international importance. This year's summit will be hosted
by Robert Thirsk High School from April 24th to April 26th
and will embrace the theme of "Engaging Locally and Con-
necting Globally". The goal is to bring like-minded youth
leaders together to inspire and motivate them to build commu-
nity, engage in civic activities and contribute to the betterment
of life in the global village.
If you’re interested in participating
or having some of your students
participate, contact Julie
Muhlberger for more information
Suite 205, 10816A-82 Avenue
Edmonton, Alberta T6E 2B3
Phone: 780-988-0200 | Fax: 780-988-0211
Follow us on:
ACGC can be contacted at:
What’s your school doing?
Share your activities with
us and see your school
profiled in our next
ACGC teach newsletter!
www.acgc.ca/teach
ACGC CURRENT MEMBERSHIP
December 2013
Action International Ministries ˑ Ainembabazi Chil-
dren’s Project ˑ Alberta Public Interest Research
Group ˑ Alberta Teachers’ Association ˑ Altamas
for Peace and Development Association ˑ Bridges
of Hope International Network of Development
Agencies ˑ Calgary Board of Education Global
Learning Program ˑ Canada World Youth ˑ Canadi-
an Association for Participatory Development ˑ
Canadian Catholic Organization for Development
and Peace ˑ Canadian Department of Peace Initia-
tive ˑ Canadian Humanitarian ˑ Canadian Moravian
Mission Society ˑ Canadian Peacemakers Interna-
tional ˑ Canadian Women for Women in Afghani-
stanˑ Caro-Canadians Reaching Out to the
World's Children Foundation ˑ CAUSE Canada ˑ
CEIBA Association ˑ Centre for Affordable Water
and Sanitation Technology ˑ Centre for Global
Citizenship Education and Research ˑ Change for
Children ˑ Covenant International Ministry ˑ Engi-
neers Without Borders- Canada ˑ Four Worlds
Centre for Development Learning ˑ Ghost River
Rediscovery ˑ Global Education Program, Universi-
ty of Alberta International ˑ HIV Edmonton ˑ Hu-
man Development Foundation ˑ John Humphrey
Centre for Peace and Human Rights ˑ Keiskamma
Canada Foundation ˑ Light Up the World ˑ Maha-
rashtra Seva Samiti Organization ˑ Mahatma Gan-
dhi Canadian Foundation for World Peace ˑ Marda
Loop Justice Film Festival ˑ Mennonite Central
Committee Alberta ˑ Micah Centre ˑ Minkha Knit-
ters Cooperative ˑ Mission of Mercy ˑ One Child's
Village ˑ One! International Poverty Relief ˑ Opera-
tion Eyesight Universal ˑ Optometry Giving Sight ˑ
Oxfam Canada ˑ Rainbow for the Future ˑ Rainbow
of Hope for Children ˑ RESULTS ˑ Rotary Club of
Edmonton ˑ Sahakarini Inter-World Education &
Development Association ˑ Samaritan's Purse Can-
ada ˑ Shastri Indo-Canadian Institute ˑ Sinkunia
Community Development Organization ˑ Somali-
Canadian Education & Rural Development Organi-
zation ˑ Sombrilla International Development Soci-
ety ˑ STOP TB Canada ˑ Student Umbrella for
Social Justice ˑ Trickster Theatre ˑ True Vision
Ghana ˑ Unisphere Global Research Centre ˑ Unit-
ed Nations Association in Canada ˑ Women's Em-
powerment International Foundation ˑ World Fit
For Children- Alberta Chapter ˑ
ACGC Teach is undertaken with the financial support of the Government of
Canada provided through Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Canada
(DFATD).
Rethinking Globalization is a comprehensive
400-page book that helps teachers raise critical
issues with students in grades 4-12 about the
increasing globalization of the world’s econo-
mies and infrastructures, and the many different
impacts this trend has on our planet and those
who live here.
It offers an extensive collection of readings and
source material on critical global issues.
Through numerous role plays, interviews, po-
ems, stories, background readings, cartoons and
hands-on teaching activities, the book offers a
memorable introduction to the forces that are
shaping the future of our world.
Available online at www.rethinkingschools.org
“Rethinking Globalization is a breathtakingly rick collection of essays, photos, cartoons,
poems providing an extraordinary one-volume education on wealth, poverty, corporate
power, and popular resistance in the contemporary world...I can think of no other book
that teaches so much, so engagingly.” - Howard Zinn, author of A People’s History of
the United States
Featured Resource Rethinking Globalization Teaching for Justice in an Unjust World