CASSA-ACGCS

1. CASSA-ACGCS Hearts & Minds Creating a Culture of Caring Conference July 7-9, 2016 Winnipeg, Manitoba

2. Social Justice:The Call to Serve One Another Brian Beal, Director of Education Simcoe Muskoka Catholic District School Board, Barrie, Ontario www.smcdsb.on.ca bbeal@smcdsb.on.ca Twitter: @SMCDSBDirector

3. Simcoe Muskoka Catholic District School Board Our Board’s vision statement: Nurturing faith, illuminating minds, inspiring hearts, and empowering hands ~ we are working together to transform our world.

4. Partnerships EF Educational Tours www.eftours.ca Jessica Recourt and Wendy Baker Free the Children www.freethechildren.com Me to We www.metowe.com

5. Board Context • Simcoe Muskoka Catholic DSB • 20,000 students K to 12 in 51 schools • 9 secondary schools serving 6,500 students • Approx 300 students self identified as First Nation, Metis, or Inuit – census data suggests approx. 2,000 students • Situated 2 hours north of Toronto • Mixture of urban and rural schools, with range of socio-economic status

6. By the numbers… By August 2016, more than 1,200 students and staff from the Simcoe Muskoka Catholic District School Board will have participated in one of the credit-based, experiential learning / social justice trips to Kenya, Ecuador, India, Tanzania, Nicaragua and Ghana.

7. Program Overview • Students enrolled in two courses: HRE 4M: Senior Religion HSE 4M: Social Justice: From Theory to Practice Note: 3rd credit available in Co-operative Education through Continuing Education

8. Program Overview • Year long program of discernment, selection, preparation, and learning • Students apply in previous spring, are selected, work together as a team in the summer, in a social justice club during first semester, and enrol in two courses in the second semester

9. Whole board involvement • This is not a class or school “trip”. Discernment process also for staff, and staff come from all levels of the organization – classroom teachers, educational assistants, office and clerical staff, school admin, plus a variety of centrally assigned staff – this is a whole board experience, that promotes the strategic plan of the board.

10. Why we do what we do • We are called to action • We are called to social justice • We are part of a global Family • We model equality • We model opportunity • We want to model good citizenship • We want our students to know and use their voice for the betterment of humanity

11. Why we do what we do • It’s not about Kenya, Ecuador, Ghana, Nicaragua, Tanzania, or India. • It’s about seeing our neighbour in need and answering the call to help. • It’s about helping our students (and ourselves) believe and belong. • It’s about how vast our world is and how small our world is – and preparing our students to embrace their future and to take their place in the world. • It’s about realizing the potential in each one of us to transform ourselves and the world.

12. 2008 – 2009 Journey Kenya St. Joan of Arc Catholic High School

13. 2009 – 2010 Journey Kenya St. Joseph’s Catholic High School Patrick Fogarty Catholic Secondary School

14. 2010 – 2011 Journey Kenya St. Peter’s Catholic Secondary School St. Dominic’s Catholic Secondary School St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Secondary School Ecuador St. Joan of Arc Catholic High School

15. 2011 - 2012 Kenya Holy Trinity Catholic HS Patrick Fogarty Catholic SS Jean Vanier Catholic HS St. Joan of Arc Catholic SS Ecuador St. Joseph’s Catholic High School

16. 2012- 2013 Journey Kenya St. Dominic Catholic SS St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic SS Staff and Friends of SMCDSB Ecuador St. Peter’s Catholic SS India St. Joan of Arc Catholic High School

17. 13 -14 Journey Ecuador Patrick Fogarty Catholic SS Kenya Jean Vanier Catholic HS St. Theresa’s Catholic HS Board / CAS Crown Ward Program Ghana St. Joseph’s Catholic HS St. Joan of Arc Catholic HS

18. 14-15 Journey Ecuador Holy Trinity Catholic HS St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic SS St. Peter’s Catholic SS Board and Staff Adult Team Nicaragua St. Joan of Arc Catholic SS Tanzania St. Dominic Catholic SS St. Joseph’s Catholic HS

19. 15-16 Journey Tanzania Patrick Fogarty Catholic SS St. Theresa’s Catholic HS St. Joan of Arc Catholic HS Board / CAS Crown Ward Team Ecuador Jean Vanier Catholic HS

20. SMCDSB:CAS Partnership More than 150 students in both school boards (public and Catholic) are Crown Wards Credit based program offered in 2014 for students with Crown Ward status …..students travelled to Kenya in July Credit based Program underway now for students to travel to Tanzania in July.

21. 16-17 Plans Plans are underway for 2016-2017: 2 schools to Tanzania 2 schools to China 1 school to Ecuador 1 school to India Adult trip to Tanzania

22. It’s about the return • We spend one year in preparation, two weeks as guests, and then return to make a difference for a lifetime • We see the world with a new lens, with a new perspective • No participant can return unaffected – but looks at the issues of social justice with renewed passion and commitment

23. Asante means Thank you • Questions? • Contact: Brian Beal Director of Education Simcoe Muskoka Catholic DSB bbeal@smcdsb.on.ca Twitter: @SMCDSBDirector Asante, Asante sana …. Thank you, thank you very much.