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Quinte Secondary School is abuzz with positive energy today, Tuesday, April 30, 2013. Students and staff are hosting a day-long, action-oriented event about student engagement and leadership.
Called the Be Kind to Others Leadership Symposium, this event involves Quinte students and Grade 7 students from feeder schools: Harmony Public School, Park Dale School, Prince of Wales Public School and Tyendinaga Public School.
Link to more information about this event http://qssymposium.wikispaces.com/home
The day involves guest speakers and workshop presenters from local and national organizations who are devoted to helping students make a difference in their lives, communities and at school. Students will receive handouts, meet other dynamic people like themselves, create lasting ideas, develop activities and use tools to enhance their own home school programs.
Topics to promote kindness and leadership development include bullying prevention, personal responsibility, positive self-awareness and leadership, all tied to helping students understand the benefits of strong relationships.
Keynote speakers and workshop presenters
- Joel Hilchey, The Beanstalk Project, on the topics of education, leadership and social activism. At The Beanstalk Project, they believe the best way to create change-makers is to give people a positive experience of change-making. They guide youth through a positive, self-motivated experience of doing good with the intention that the students will want to keep going.
- Nick Foley, Celebrate the Hero on the topic of bullying prevention. Nick's workshop will provide students with a better understanding of the effects that bullying can have on people. Through his animated stories, Nick will show students that bullying can take on many forms. It will help to reinforce to students that it is important to be yourself no matter what the circumstance. Nick will share how a simple gesture good or bad can have a profound effect on a person's well-being. The work shop will leave students feeling motivated, and empowered to make a difference in their own life.
- Jennifer Bryand and Lana Kuduzovic on the topic of building a culture of peace. This workshop begins with interactive activities to explore people's actions and interpretations of those actions. This is followed by a discussion of the values and characteristics of culture of peace. It concludes with small groups to examine scenarios centered on being open-minded and non-judgmental, being compassionate and understanding, speaking/acting out against injustice, resolving conflict non-violently and forgiveness.
- Dave Templar on the topic of respect. Spawned from a government bill leading to the creation of a respectful college community policy, the Respect – Pass it On campaign is Loyalist College' s way to spread awareness about the importance of respect and the positive way in which it relates to the things we do every day. Through spreading awareness on issues such as bullying, harassment, mental health or a general lack of "please" and "thank you," the campaign aims to enrich the lives others. The Respect – Pass it On campaign provides a platform for a greater understanding of the challenges faced by colleagues, peers and leaders, at the same time reminding people of the little things that make big differences.
- Andrew Brown, on the topics of developing leadership and character through sport. This workshop is tailored to student leaders, to engage them to help all students at their schools. The workshop is fun, informative and very interactive. Dealing with topics like team building, developing strong character through sport, students will enjoy every minute of it!
- Cindy Stover, Live Different, on the topic of live different, live global, how to be globally aware and start to bring about positive change in your school and community today. Global awareness and social justice are huge part of what is done at Live Different. This session is an opportunity to inform students about things happening in the world, and also to motivate and inspire them to take active steps towards being part of the solution. Through personal stories, interactive breakouts and engaging media, students will be challenged and inspired to add their voice and lives to the movement of change and hope around the world.
- Constable Carrie Archibald & Caroline Gallant, Ottawa Police, on the topics of teen and technology. Sexting has become an issue that can affect any teen, and the consequences are real and, in some cases, devastating. Did you know that 39% of teens say that they have sent or posted sexually suggestive images? That 36% of teen girls and 39% of teen boys are sending sexually explicit messages even though they know such content often gets shared with those other than the intended recipients?
- Elliott Embury and Leslie Ford on the topic of having positive mental health when dealing with negative circumstances. This interactive workshop will look at the building blocks of respect, relating to one and another and when is it time to talk? The latter will address four key areas of mental health including anxiety, depression, body image and self-harm. Leslie Ford has been a clinician with the Parent, Child and Youth Clinic with Quinte Health Care for over the past 12 years and Elliot Embury has worked as a Crisis Worker with Quinte Health Care for the past 10 years.
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Event Goal
The Quinte Secondary School goal for this event is that the experience will have a lasting and measurable effect on students and our communities by accomplishing the following:
- Develop and enhance individual students' basic leadership skills.
- Assist students in defining what leadership is and what the role of a student leader is in their school.
- Engage students in meaningful discussions grounded in the various components of leadership, respect and what it means to be a leader.
- Recognize that there are different types of leaders, everyone can make a change.
- Teach students to understand and accept each others' differences.
- Encourage students to understand that their actions have consequences.
- Gain knowledge so that social media sites can be used to communicate in a positive way.
- Be kind!
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