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Above and BeyondCANADIAN STUDENT LEADERSHIP NEWS AND VIEWS A CANADIAN STUDENT LEADERSHIP ASSOCIATION PUBLICATION VOL 22 NO 2
CSLC 2019
The Abbotsford School District will be hosting the 35th Canadian Student Leadership Conference in September of 2019. Over a 1,000 student leaders and advisors will descend on Yale Sec-ondary School from Sept. 24 – 28th.
The Pre-Conference will be held from Sept. 21 – 23rd, and participants will be touring Vancouver and Whistler.
Be sure to register online for the con-ference starting on April 1st, 2019. The Department of Canadian Heritage will be providing grants for student travel. Check out all the travel and conference details at:
cslc2019.studentleadership.ca
Conference co-chairs are:
Doug [email protected]
Alana [email protected]
The world is passing through troublous times. The young people of today
think of nothing but themselves. They have no reverence for parents or old
age. They are impatient of all restraint. They talk as if they knew everything,
and what passes for wisdom with us is foolishness with them. As for the girls,
they are forward, immodest and unladylike in speech, behaviour and dress.
Peter the Hermit, 1274 AD
The above quote causes all the greybeards in the room to nod in agreement about the
current crop of youth – until the date is read. Apparently there is no more glorious and
respectful time of youth than the time of the individual who is doing the remembering.
A more recent point of view is that given by Bob Kline at a TEDx in Kitchener when he
talks about “Kids these days!” Bob is a high school leadership teacher, and he states that
his kids are more aware of the human curriculum than their parents ever were. They run
pink shirt days and feed the homeless. His kids these days raise money for cancer, cardiac
care and fellow kids in care. They are far more involved in the solutions of the world’s
problems than causing those problems – in fact, it was adults these days who created
today’s problems. This newsletter highlights what some of those kids today are doing.
Yes, today’s youth do spend an inordinate amount of time on their digital devices and we
should worry about their ability to interact with fellow humans, but some of us spent a
lot of time playing Nintendo or watching reruns on TV that drove our parents crazy. You
only have to attend the opening ceremonies of a leadership conference to witness the en-
ergy and power of 1,000 of today’s kids wanting to do something positive in this world.
You are the people who provide the opportunities for kids to be their best today. Keep
your energy levels up and your feet ready to roll because kids these days will leave us
behind with their drive to make the world a better place.
Dave Conlon
Kids these days!
2
The past is to be respected and acknowledged, but not to be worshipped. It is our
future in which we will find our greatness.
Pierre Trudeau
Two teenagers from Pickering, Ontario have taken a teacher’s lesson
and turned it into a provincial movement – “PickWaste”
April 2017 - It was an average day at school for Sam Demma before he took a seat in his
teacher’s world issues class. On that day Mr. Loudfoot was lecturing about figures in his-
tory who have made massive changes in the world. People like Malcolm X, Martin Luther
King, Ghandi and many more. He spent time breaking down their lives to prove to the
class that there was one common characteristic they shared that enabled them to make
such a large impact.
“They all took small consistent actions that led to massive global changes.”
Inspired, Sam decided to put his teacher’s theory to the test. As simple as it sounds, for
the next four months he decided to take the small consistent action of filling a bag of
litter while walking home from school. He hoped that he could begin raising awareness
about pollution and start cleaning up the litter in his hometown.
It wasn’t until 5 days before summer break that Sam’s small action caught the attention
of his friend Dillon Mendes, who initiated the conversation about turning this into a
community initiative. A few weeks later, that is exactly what happened.
July 1st, 2017 – the first Saturday of summer – Demma and Mendes invited their friends
to clean up a local beach. After the event they decided to make this a routine for the
remainder of the summer, creating the movement PickWaste.
PickWaste was started out of the necessity to clean up their community and teach people
that they have the potential to make a change. They meet up to clean up for one hour
once a week. Since the inception, they have: kick started 4 cleanup crews, completed
over 80 cleanups, filled over 850 bags of litter, picked up over 21 000 cigarette butts, and
spoken to over 8000 students from high schools and colleges to spread this simple but
powerful message. They’re now using PickWaste as a platform to show other students
what is possible when you believe in yourself and commit to small acts.
If you would like to bring this movement to your school, inquire at www.pickwaste.com
or www.samdemma.com.
TRUST FALL – OUT
Jim Cain points out that one of the most ridiculed but dangerous trust ac-tivities is the “trust fall inititiative.” He points out that the risk-benefit of the trust fall initiative is too high a risk for the limited benefit provided. It is best eliminated from your trust activities and best to substitute a trust activity that is found in Jim’s exellent book: “FIND SOMETHING TO DO! : No Prop Activities”. For example, in this book Jim explains that the lap sit is a much more safe and more fun activity for the entire group to build trust.
Small Consistent Actions
CSLA www.studentleadership.ca 3
Canada is known around the world for being a generous country that helps others. This
is in part because our government sets aside money for international aid. This money
supports important projects around the world such as breakfast programs for school
children, workshops so that farmers can produce more food for their communities, and
emergency food for babies at risk of starvation, among many other important things.
However, the money that the Canadian government gives to those around the world
who live in poverty is lower than it has promised to give. Yet, there is tremendous need
around the world. 1 out of every 9 people in the world doesn’t get enough to eat. Actu-
ally, the number of hungry people around the world is rising.
Students across Canada are invited to join the I CARE campaign to help make a differ-
ence. They can tell the Prime Minister and their member of Parliament that they care
about how much money the Canadian government gives to support people around the
world who live in conditions of hunger and poverty.
There are three easy ways that students can get involved: sign a postcard to the Prime
Minister, write to their Member of Parliament or use social media to connect with deci-
sion makers in Ottawa.
Go to www.foodgrainsbank.ca/icare to learn more about the campaign. You can find a
student package explaining the three ways that students can get involved at
https://foodgrainsbank.ca/campaigns/icare/learn-more-engage-others/. Join our campaign
by doing just one, or all three!
We invite students and advisors to contact us if
they have questions or would like some support
in planning activities. We would love to help
make this a positive experience!
Please consider bringing this campaign to your
students so that they can let the Prime Minister
and other members of Parliament know that
Canadians care about helping end global pov-
erty and hunger!
Roberta Gramlich
Youth Engagement Coordinator
Canadian Foodgrains Bank
Campaign resources are available in French and are available upon request.
Unless you believe that the future can be better, you are unlikely to step up and take responsibility for making it so.Noam Chomsky
Canadian Foodgrains Bank
VALENTINES FOR SENIORS
The best Valentine to receive is the one that you were not expecting. Con-sider sending Valentines to seniors in a nursing home. These people are usually visited by family during the Christmas season, but February can be a grey, blue time for seniors–so make it a heartfelt red with a Valentine visit complete with cards and gifts.
Student Council members can design their own Valentines and with a bit of help from the staff at the seniors home, they can make them personal as well. Be prepared to spend a little time with the seniors because that is the best gift of all for most of these people.
Noah Law, from Eckville, Alberta, with his signed postcard.
4
Each year, students across Canada spend more than 1,000 hours in school. From math and
science, to music and leadership classes, we have the opportunity to develop new skills with
support from our teachers, classmates and schools. With all the educational resources we
have access to, it’s hard to imagine that more than 250 million children around the world lack
basic reading, writing and math skills. That’s more than seven times the entire population
of Canada that doesn’t have the opportunity to go to school and receive quality education.
When education is the foundation for economic stability, gender equality and improved global
health, how can we create a future where all kids have a chance to succeed?
This question sparked my interest in Pencils of Promise (PoP), a global organization that’s on
a mission to ensure all kids have access to quality education. In ten years, the organization has
built 500 public schools and supports nearly 100,000 students in developing countries around
the world. When I heard about PoP, I was so inspired by the impact they were making that I
knew I had to get involved.
As a university student, I started volunteering with PoP by launching a Pencils of Promise
Club at my school. PoP Clubs are organized young leaders who plan local events, campaigns
and initiatives to raise funds and awareness to support PoP’s mission. Together, our club
hosted various events on campus and encouraged students to donate their skills and talents as
part of our leadership committee.
Pencils of Promise
It’s hard to imagine that more
than 250 million children
around the world lack basic
reading, writing and math
skills. That’s more than seven
times the entire population of
Canada that doesn’t have the
opportunity to go to school
and receive quality education.
CSLA www.studentleadership.ca 5
As I prepared to graduate university, I started looking for ways to continue supporting the
organization and discovered that PoP offers six-month internships with their teams in Laos,
Ghana and Guatemala. Although I was hesitant to move abroad to a country I knew so little
about, I knew it would be an incredible learning experience. When I was given the opportunity
to intern in PoP’s Laos office for six months, I packed up my stuff and didn’t look back.
For the next six months, I worked closely
with the Laos Programs Manager to
develop the Teacher Support and WASH
(Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) pro-
grams. Through the teacher support
program, PoP works directly with teachers
to provide coaching and supplementary
materials that are aligned with the govern-
ment curriculum. Alongside the Teacher
Support and Builds program, the WASH program focuses on enhancing students’ education by ensuring they’re in a safe and healthy
learning environment. The program provides everything from water filters and hygiene work-
shops, to safe bathrooms and hand washing stations.
In Laos, I had the opportunity to travel to rural communities throughout the country to meet
students, teachers, and community leaders. I was surprised to learn that most communities
were similar in size to my hometown, without populations between 500-1,000. Having grown
up on a farm in rural Manitoba, I never realized how fortunate I was to have access to electric-
ity, safe roads, and infrastructure. As a kid, I lived several miles from the nearest school, but I
could rely on the school bus to pick me up and ensure I arrived safely at school. In Laos, many
of the students I met walked miles to school and would sit under thatched roof classrooms in
the rain or blazing heat. When PoP partnered with these communities to build new schools, it
was incredible to see how students’ and teachers’ lives were transformed.
After working with the Laos team for a year, I had the oppor-
tunity to transfer to the organization’s New York headquarters,
where I have the opportunity to share PoP’s impact and work
with supporters from every corner of the world, including PoP
Club leaders. It’s incredible to see student leaders come together
to support fellow students across the globe by organizing every-
thing from school dances and talent shows, to bike-a-thons and
movie nights.
Whether you’re passionate about education, health care, music
or design, we can all create positive change by contributing
to organizations or starting initiatives in our local and global
communities. Together, we can create a brighter future where
all kids have a chance to succeed and fulfil their potential .
To learn more about Pencils of Promise, email [email protected]
Carly Sotas
6
Students need to understand why they participate in an activity and how their motiva-
tion affects their involvement.
Procedure:
Write either rock, paper, or scissors on a name tag (one word per tag). Give each student
one of the name tags and have them put the tag on their top where it is visible.
Make sure the students understand the game by going over the rules and have a practice
round. Introduce the game and go over the moves: paper is palm open and it beats rock;
scissors are index and middle fingers pointed at opponent which beats paper; rock is a
fist which beats scissors. Each game begins with a 3-beat primer and the third beat is
when the choice is displayed.
Each student will walk around the room and introduce them-
selves saying, “Hi, my name is __________, would you like
to play rock-paper-scissors?” Tell them that they have
to accept the invitation to play. They do not need
to play the move that is on their name tag. When a
person wins, have them jump up and down excitedly;
when a person loses, have them jump up and down
excitedly and then both will find someone else to play. Make
sure that the group plays most of the opponents in the room. After the first round, ask
people for their records and have them say their win/loss record out loud.
The second round is played with the students only able to use the shape that is written
on their tag. They cannot hide their tag; they must keep it visible. Continue to play this
round and at the end have the students say their record out loud.
For the final round, the students can cover up their name tag, but they must play this
same shape. Again, when they are done, ask them to share their record.
Processing:
Students will be excited at the beginning of the game and get slightly less engaged over
time. Keep an eye on the ones who stop trying; you will ask for their feedback.
• How did it feel to play the game when you had choice over which shape to play?
• What was your feeling when you were told to play the shape on your name tag?
• How many of you only played against people whom you knew you could defeat at
this stage? Did anyone not care and just keep playing because it was fun?
• When you were told to cover your name tag, what was your feeling?
• Did anyone lie about their shape when it was covered because they wanted to win?
• Is it ok to cheat if it means that we will beat someone else? Is that success?
• Some stopped playing and sat down. Why?
• Is motivation a big part of what you do?
• How many times do you look at an activity and make up your mind before it starts
that you cannot do it, so you don’t try? What makes you motivated to try?
Matt Soeth
from Leadership Lessons 3 now available from CSLA online
Rock-Paper-Scissors and then someIf you hear a voice within
you say, ‘You cannot paint,’ then by all means paint, and
that voice will be silenced.Vincent Van Gogh
GRAD ROCK AND WALK
Chinook High School in Lethbridge, Alberta has a large Grad Rock that is located outside of the school. Each year, the graduation class paints the rock and grads sign their names on the rock. It stands as a solid reminder to the graduating class that they are spending their last year at the school. It is a yearly tradition that junior stu-dents can look forward to.
New Sarepta Elementary School in Nisku, Alberta, invites the graduates of the New Sarepta Community High School to walk through the hallways of their elementary school in June dressed in their grad gowns. It is an opportunity for the students and staff to see the success of the graduates and the accomplishment of graduat-ing from NSCHS as they begin the next phase of their academic journey. In turn, the graduates have an oppor-tunity to reflect on where they’ve been and where they’re going, and to con-nect with the teachers and staff mem-bers who positively influenced them during their elementary school years. It is a proud and heartwarming mo-ment in time for all the participants.
CSLA www.studentleadership.ca 7
‘What do you want to be when your grow up?’ is a bad question for kids. ‘What do you want to change?’ is a better question. Chris Hadfield
J5M
Daniel Pink is the motivation expert, but he realizes that there are times when you seem to have reached a plateau and you don’t want to do any-more – that may be more minutes on the task or more metres on your run that you should complete but cannot.
He suggests that this is the time to think J5M. It stands for Just Five More. You tell yourself that you can stop after you do just 5 more minutes or 5 more reps or 5 more lengths of the pool. Once you get started on that five more minutes, it often turns into 10 or more and you are motivated to complete the task or your workout. It is a simple trick (and you know you are tricking your-self), but it works to get yourself over that stall period where you want to quit when you shouldn’t.
JournalingOur students spend a lot of time entering their lives into their personal digital devices.
This device is personal, yet the material they share becomes immediately public. There is
not doubt that they project a lot of their feelings and experiences into the realm of social
media, but most of this personal material is juried – they carefully judge the material
that they are going to post and then take it down if it doesn’t receive the appropriate
response. Putting personal feelings on to paper through journaling is a totally different
experience and a different audience.
Journaling is a personal and reflective skill that must be experienced to be taught. Rather
than having the participants provide specific answers, challenge them to explore their re-
sponses beyond simple statements. Journaling gives your participants a tangible memoir
of their response, experience and growth.
Assign time away from the group for individual reflection because this balances and
supports the group process. The benefit of time away gives students time to reflect on
things that may not have come up during a discussion, or it allows the learner to write
down things they were not able to say during the discussion. You must give enough time
and quiet space to encourage the
reflective process. This reflective
process is where self-understand-
ing can happen. When you don’t
schedule and respect the time for
journaling, it loses standing as part
of the learning process.
Journal Setup
• If you find that you have difficulty starting, just write one word or point form reac-
tions to get you started.
• Your writing must be more than just a description of what happened.
• After you describe your reaction on what happened, focus on the “So What?” and
the “Now What?”
Examples of questions to explore:
• What were your feelings during the activity?
• What did you like and dislike?
• What were some of the comments you were making to yourself during the activity?
• Were you uncomfortable doing anything? If so, what and why?
• Were any of your reactions typical of you?
• Do the experiences in the class or activity relate to other aspects of your life? How?
Use a variety of paper and writing tools to capture the thoughts and feelings of the
participants. Provide unique paper and writing surfaces and encourage the response in
nonstandard and free form shapes, such as diamonds, rain drops, trees and triangles. A
journal does not always have to be the traditional notebook format.
from A Teachable Moment by Jim Cain, Michelle Cummings and Jennifer Stanchfield
8
Above and Beyond is the official newsletter of
the Canadian Student Leadership Association. The newsletter is
published 3 times a year for schools all across Canada.
To learn more about membership, go to
www.studentleadership.ca/join/
You can contact us at: CSLA Publications
268 West Acres Drive Guelph, ON N1H 7P1
Tel: 1 519 222 6718 Fax: 1 519 821 0035
When you come out of the storm, you won’t be the same person who walked in. That’s
what the storm is all about.Haruki Murakami
This newsletter has been printedwith the generous support of
Friesen Yearbooks.www.friesens.com/yearbook
Canadian StudentLeadership Association
ResourcesBe sure to visit the CSLA website for more lesson plans, activity ideas, and a complete list of resources.studentleadership.ca
When you were a kid, your parents told you that when you came to a railway track you
should stop, look and listen. Communications consultant, David Grossman, urges you to
follow the same advice in conversations to become an adept listener.
On his blog, Grossman says the skill comes in two stages. The first is the listening basics:
• Stop: Stop talking during conversation. Be quiet. Resist the urge to focus your at-
tention on what you want to say next.
• Look: Actually look directly at the person speaking, which helps to take in what
they are saying. Avoid multi-tasking.
• Listen: Listen with an open mind. Don’t be caught up in what you expect or want
to hear. “If you’re someone who finishes other’s sentences or sometimes interrupts,
those are two clues that you’re not listening,” he warns. Ask questions and para-
phrase back what you are hearing to be sure you understand correctly.
When you are adept at these basic listening skills, he suggests trying these more advanced
listening skills:
• Listen for what is not said. If you don’t, you could miss something critical.
• Adapt your listening style to the other person’s conversing style. “Introverts need
more time to process, and listening means being comfortable with silence. Since
extroverts think out loud, listening means more paraphrasing back to ensure you
understand the main point he or she is trying to make in a potentially long-winded
and confusing way,” he explains.
• Ask questions that help to explain the broader issues at stake rather than getting
caught up in narrower tactical issues. That means starting with open-ended ques-
tions like, “Help me understand ...” or “How do you envision ...?” or “What’s the
outcome you seek?” Once you understand that dynamic, you should pursue more
direct questions to learn more and better understand how these conclusions were
arrived at.
You had to learn to swim or ride a bicycle. Similarly, he says you will need to consider
how to listen effectively and then practise, practise, practise.
Stop. Look. Listen.
