Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Initiatives: January 2021

During the first week back after the Winter Break, our Grade 9-12 students participated in a DEI session. The two main focuses of this session were privilege and microaggressions. 

Students started the session with a land acknowledgement and then took a moment to reflect on safe spaces within the Greenwood community. Next, they dove into the topic of privilege and discussed what it is and how to be aware of personal privileges. They also talked about the importance of allyship because being an ally means you have more opportunities, power and responsibilities to create change.

Following this conversation, they discussed the meaning of microaggression and talked about ‘intent’ versus ‘impact’. During this discussion they explored various scenarios and watched informative videos.

On January 12, Bethany Glick, Coordinator, DEI, Rachael Swain, Liaison, DEI and Alex Hurley, Director, Outdoor Learning, attended Dodem Kanonhsa’ in partnership with the Native Canadian Centre of Toronto. The focus of this workshop was on fostering relationships. They participated in a great conversation with Indigenous community members who shared best practices in understanding harmony between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples.

We look forward to celebrating Black History Month. Throughout February, there will be many opportunities for Greenwood students to set individual learning intentions, and to take action on those intentions by engaging with school programming.