86 – What if students took a stand against racism? (w Harsh, Victoria, Chris & Katie)

Who is the greatest lever for change in our education system? Teachers? Parents? Students? In this episode, Natalie connects with three former students and their mentor teacher from Prince George, Canada, to explore how students can become visionary catalysts who spark learning in an entire community. 

Video #1 - Stories and Experiences: https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=PyX81hRIVgA#dialog&ab_channel=SchoolDistrictNo.57

Video #2 - Impact: https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=7Q00FZfoqjM&ab_channel=SchoolDistrictNo.57

Video #3 - Hope and Allyship: https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=1T7P3tRDrLM&ab_channel=SchoolDistrictNo.57

Video #4 - For Educators: https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=tOKUlkcPNMY&ab_channel=SchoolDistrictNo.57

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Show Notes:

• Who is the greatest lever for change in our education system? (1:30)
• The inciting incident; a polarizing costume at Halloween following the renaming of a school. (11:50)
• The collective decision by the DSAC students in response to the racism they witnessed in their community. (22:03)
• The critical difference between “student voice” and agency. (27:03)
• Grounding themselves in the first persons' principles to navigate the process.  (32:40)
•  The brave conversations, pushback, and productive discomfort in the SD57 community as a result of the learning series videos. (34:58)
• Key insights and learnings that emerged from each journey. (44:33)
• Student advice for teachers about how to develop their own agency to make change in the education system. (51:15)
• The purpose(s) of education. (55:04)