CATCA 2023

Why does it matter that women’s voices still account for well less than a third of those who hold power, set agendas and exert influence? And what can educators do about it? When a country's public conversations fail to accurately reflect the experiences and priorities of a big portion of the population, everybody suffers. In this keynote presentation, Shari Graydon marries research, humour and stories to illuminate the causes and consequences of the gender gap, and to inspire educators to speak up to make the world we share more equitable.

What if I told you this workshop is about including and valuing you? If you sometimes feel like you are drowning in checklists of dos and don’ts, ever-changing curriculum recommendations (sent in emails lol) and information overload on diversity and inclusion this workshop is for you. As educators, we all want to provide inclusive and adaptive environments, experiences and education – this is not even a question. But over half of educators do not feel capable or comfortable providing more inclusive and adaptable instruction and learning activities out of fear of “doing it wrong”. In this workshop, we go back to basics so that we can feel creative, safe, and confident to adapt, try and succeed in our classrooms and gymnasiums. Teachers leave with straightforward tools and strategies for inclusion that they can use as soon as they leave the room.

SESSION REGISTRATION IS NOW CLOSED AS PREREGISTRATION AND PAYMENT WAS REQUIRED. SEE YOU AT NOTRE DAME HIGH SCHOOL ON THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23.

Come prepared to learn to cook an Indian dish from scratch. Learn about the mystical spices used to create a dish from scratch.

PREREGISTRATION IS REQUIRED TO ENSURE ENOUGH SUPPLIES ARE AVAILABLE.
Please send an email transfer of $10 to kimi.abreu@rdcrs.ca to pay for the ingredients and secure your spot. NO REFUNDS. In your message, please indicate which session and if you are paying for someone else. Thank you.

This session will be held at Notre Dame High School (50 Lees Street, Red Deer AB T4R 2P6).

Kids contemplate loss in profound ways, whether they express it externally or not. Adults must be prepared to initiate meaningful conversations with children that help them learn, grow, and thrive through their grief. Bereaved Mom, Alexis Marie Chute, shares observations of her living children as they mourn for their sibling. Become confident in noticing signs of grief and acquire tools to gift children on their lifelong journey of healing. We can change the culture around grief from one of silent struggle to one of support, compassion, and resiliency.

The problem with society today is that women and teens think there's a quick fix for healthy self-esteem, something in a bottle. Something they can do quickly that will instantly give them self-esteem. Kelly takes you through her journey of getting burnt as a two year old to being the ugly scar-faced girl in school to being named by Global TV as the Most Inspirational Person of 2020. How did she do it? In this presentation you will learn her strategies for strong, healthy self-esteem.

In this presentation Kelly shares her journey of going from the ugly scar-faced girl to the Most Inspirational Person of 2020. You will learn your value is not in how much money you make or don't make, but in your journey of life. Your story. Your lessons. Your gifts. That's where your true value in life lies. You will also learn how to take your sour lemon stories and turn them into sweet lemonade.

Let's be honest. Math can be super stressful for kids, parents AND teachers these days. Feeling like you can't do math leads to a lack of confidence, a feeling of hopelessness, and...a LOT of tears (from everyone involved)! But guess what? You don't have to be a math genius in order to inspire one! These 5 super secret (and super easy!) tips are guaranteed to turn that math frown upside down - for parents, teachers, AND their kids! This workshop emphasizes the idea that through teaching math, teachers can help students see themselves as creative, confident, and capable of anything. Ready to transform the way you approach teaching math? Let's do this!

SESSION REGISTRATION IS NOW CLOSED AS PREREGISTRATION AND PAYMENT WAS REQUIRED. SEE YOU AT NOTRE DAME HIGH SCHOOL ON THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23.

Over the past few years I have worked on integrating different cultural themes in a meaningful and respectful way in my high school Food Studies classes. It has been a journey of discovery and reconciliation but I have built up a better understanding and hope that the students in my classes have come to learn and grow as well. I have developed projects centred around Indigenous Heritage Month, Black History Month, Asian Heritage Month and other months of recognition or celebrations throughout the year. Other projects have explored Canadian Heritage Foods and each student's own personal heritage and traditions. The planning is continuing as I explore more. Today I would like to share some of what I have learned, including project ideas, student examples and then through a mixture of demonstrations and hands-on-cooking, we will work together to prepare some dishes connected to the projects I have done with my students. Come join in the journey.

PREREGISTRATION IS REQUIRED TO ENSURE ENOUGH SUPPLIES ARE AVAILABLE.
Please send an email transfer of $10 to jeff.lerouge@rdcrs.ca to pay for the ingredients and secure your spot. NO REFUNDS. In your message, please indicate which session you are attending and if you are paying for someone else. Thank you.

This session will be held at Ecole Secondaire Notre Dame High School (50 Lees St, Red Deer, AB T4R 2P6).

This fall, the John Humphrey Centre for Peace and Human Rights (JHC) released the Paint the Rails (PTR) Legacy Book and corresponding Teacher Resource. PTR was a collaboration of local artists, Elders, and community organizations painting five public murals in Edmonton transit stations telling the histories of untold communities in the city and province. In this session, JHC will share concrete ideas on how to use this book and the teacher resource to engage upper elementary and junior high students in celebrating the stories of strength, resilience and settlement of eleven distinct communities within the Province of Alberta. Topics such as history, art, diversity, equity, inclusion and anti-racism are explored using timelines, calls to actions, lesson plans and many other downloadable in-class resources.

What is intersectionality? What is the role of justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion in understanding climate impacts, resilience, and solutions? What is the role of environmental education in reconciliation? Why are two-eyed seeing and social justice vital climate solutions? How can EcoSchools contribute to a better relationship with Mother Earth? This hands-on session will show you how to explore these hot topics with your students in an atmosphere of curiosity and respect.

In this workshop participants will explore concepts and terminology regarding gender and sexual diversity. We will look at best practices for teachers to create a safer and more welcoming school for all students as well as strategies for addressing homophobia and transphobia in their classroom. Teachers will also discuss methods for developing allyship skills within their school as well as the community at large.

This presentation is geared towards those working with elementary and middle school-aged children, but the information can be adapted to high school-aged students as well. Information will be presented, some tools will be practiced, and there will be time for discussion. The focus will include: • Common types of anxiety in children • Ways anxiety manifests in children • Understanding the anxiety cycle • On-hands strategies/tools for managing anxiety o Shifting Self-Talk o Mindfulness Practice (Focus/Awareness) o Body Relaxationo Breathing o Externalizing o Empowering o Anxiety Toleranco Retraining/Relearning through Exposureo Positive Reinforcement • Determining what is helpful and what is enabling• Working with the parents

As a student Tazz was bullied incessantly by teachers and students alike for his weight, thick glasses, home life and inability to pay attention. His report cards tell the story: “easily distracted, disrupts the class and perhaps he should be tested to be placed in the ‘proper’ classroom environment”. His school experience was one of constant bruising to his body, emotions and self-esteem, from both student and adult bullies. Eventually Tazz realized that it wasn’t his fault for the way he was being treated by peers and those who were supposed to educate and protect him. It wasn’t a flaw in his character but theirs.

Once being told by a principal “this is life, better smarten and toughen up” Tazz knew in his heart that other students, like himself, were going to be treated the same way.

He openly talks about the path he stumbled through as a student from the “classroom shenanigans that must stop” to what drove him to his first suicide attempt, to seeking and finally creating help and hope for himself and others akin to him. He vowed that no student shall be undermined because of what they can’t control. Promote more understanding with educators for their students and themselves. Everyone has a unique struggle, but they also have a unique talent that must be polished so it may shine through.

Tazz speaks to the pressures of being a caring educator, often understaffed and underfunded. Championing those school staff where student development isn’t a job but a passion.

This session will look at current research in support of anti homo/transphobic school environments. There will be opportunities for networking, sharing of resources, and dialogue to support classroom practices and schools moving forward to support queer inclusivity for students and staff.

This workshop was developed and is delivered in partnership with an RSW (Registered Social Worker) who has over 10 years of experience in child protection and adoptions work and is Metis. Speaking to our children about the current civil rights movements and the historical and current atrocities in our communities is overwhelming. The difficult reality of humanity is complicated for adults to understand, let alone for our tiny humans. This workshop teaches parents and educators alike how to talk to children in a way that is developmentally appropriate and why we need to talk to children about the core concepts behind systemic discrimination and significant social movements. Specific topics include Black Lives Matter and residential school, and colonialism.

This workshop engages participants in a series of drawing and storytelling activities designed to explore their connections to the broader Alberta community. Built around our signature "draw an Alberta" exercise, the session walks teachers through the process we use with youth to better understand how and when they adopt a "wild west" image of Alberta society. The exercise closes with a discussion of how our personal and communal identities are sometimes out of sync, and what we can do to build more equitable and inclusive classrooms, schools, neighborhoods, and communities. We will present findings from our study to date, which help improve the way we teach identity.

Anyone can be a community scientist (aka citizen scientist), which is a non-professional scientist that contributes real scientific research data. Community science fosters scientific literacy by engaging students in meaningful science research that addresses real-world issues and leads to scientific advancement. Through direct participation in scientific inquiry and exploration, students develop critical mindsets about the nature of scientific discovery. Community science engages many students that might not otherwise care by having them contribute to meaningful research. Teachers will get an introduction to community science, access resources to find projects that fit their curricula and go through an exercise to help integrate these projects into their classroom. Teachers will also leave with a digital toolkit that will enable them to take the lessons learned and apply them to their learning objectives in their classroom. Integrating community science in your classrooms can also help girls and gender diverse students better envision themselves as scientists and can be a tool to help address barriers to their participation in STEM fields. We will talk a bit about that in our presentation.

Ideally, participants would bring their own laptops or smartphones/tablets but the session will be doable without them.

Teachers will walk away with a basic understanding of what community science is, an introduction to some projects that they can integrate into their classes (with a detailed handout to take home with them), and how community science can help to engage students (especially those who are underrepresented in STEM fields) in real science.

Being present online is inevitable for youth and adults these days and getting familiar with the beauty and the risk of social media is a life skill. As intermediaries —whether you’re a teacher, education assistant, support worker, or parent/guardian— you may think about what youth are looking at and experiencing online.Social Stride is an initiative that was founded in 2020 following the rise of social media activism and the spread of (mis)information on platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok. Their vision is to create a healthier online environment by using social media to address hate and discrimination through education, countering misinformation, and amplifying the voices of victims.In this session, participants will develop an in-depth understanding of digital literacy including the different social media platforms, the effects of dis/misinformation and hate online, as well as the importance of having a social media presence. The aim is to provide participants with strategies they can use to support the youth they interact with as well as recognize when youth are experiencing online hate or being subjected to dis/misinformation. Participants may even find themselves learning skills they can use themselves. The session will also discuss response and reporting mechanisms available in Alberta.

The Department of Canadian Heritage (Government of Canada) has provided funding to support this effort through the Youth Take Charge program and this initiative is also supported by the John Humphrey Centre for Peace and Human Rights, the Alberta Hate Crimes Committee and REACH Edmonton.

As educators, sometimes we don’t realize that our implicit biases play a critical role in how students see themselves in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics). Join WISEST in this session where we’ll talk about how to recognize our own implicit biases, how to address them, and we’ll explore ways educators can challenge long held views that hold a masculine, heteronormative and eurocentric perspective in the effort to help promote equity, diversity and inclusion in the classroom. Session is open to educators who work with junior high to high school students.Teachers will get a basic introduction to teaching strategies that help promote equity, diversity and inclusion in their science classrooms. Teachers will learn how to address their own implicit biases, and how we can make conscious decisions to make our science classrooms more inclusive.