Staff and students at a Richmond high school came together for a conference day last week to learn how to make their school environment safer and more inclusive.
The themes for the all-day event on April 9 at Hugh Boyd secondary were culture and purpose and included group discussions, guest speakers and activities.
Each class at Hugh Boyd had the opportunity to listen to the two speakers: Richmond City Councillor and former Olympian Alexa Loo, and harm reduction advocate and addiction educator Guy Felicella.
Loo shared how she discovered her life's purpose through sports and public service, while Felicella discussed his journey from homelessness and addiction to becoming a community and public policy leader, highlighting resilience.
Students also listened in on a panel of five leaders called "The Other People."
This panel consists of community leaders from different ethnicities and religions to share their lived experiences of race, diversity and acceptance, explained Harowitz.
The one-day event was organized by Hugh Boyd teachers Josh Harowitz and Michael Taylor as well as vice-principal Afamdi Onukwulu.
Harowitz told the Richmond News that conference day events in schools are not new, but this was a first for Hugh Boyd.
The goal for the day was for students and staff to promote shared learning about the significance of culture and purpose, both individually and collectively.
"We're trying to give ourselves an opportunity for reflection, and we think that culture and purpose are two great places to start," said Harowitz.
He explained that community begins by welcoming people of all cultures and embracing individual identities. Through this, students can discover their own purpose and contribute to the shared mission of the school.
"It's to make sure that it is a very welcoming and nurturing place where people can be happy to celebrate their own individuality and recognize the kinds of things that collectively make up a really great community."
An art project during the conference day consisted of creating a mosaic that will eventually be put on display at the school.
Each student created a mosaic piece that represents aspects of their culture and heritage.
The pieces will then be pulled together to create a mosaic.
"The mosaic display is intended to be a daily reminder that our strength lies in our diversity and that we are better together," said Harowitz.
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