Thanks to Ms Armstrong for this post!
Here at PASS, our students have the opportunity
to enroll in an innovative multi-credit program known as P.R.I.D.E. (Power,
Respect, Integrity Determination, and Empathy). The program’s core mandate is
to empower our students and increase their social and academic outcomes in
meaningful ways. Students develop knowledge of key concepts, and apply their
learning through experiential endeavours that are focused on exploring
community leadership, social justice, national and local perspectives, and
developing personal accountability.
Our unit
projects call students to investigate their place in a very diverse society and
to learn about how they can work together to achieve great things in and for
our communities.
In Unit One: Knowledge is Power, students learnt
that understanding themselves and others is a very important aspect of
leadership and builds synergy amongst a team. Students participated in a
Personality Dimensions Workshop led by a certified educator, and traveled to
Laserquest to engage one another in collaboration and fun!
In Unit 2: Global Toronto – Respect, we visited
Kensington Market to learn about the relationship between migration and culture
and how social integration can be facilitated through the creation of cultural
enclaves. To get a taste of life in this unique cultural enclave students “traveled
to the Caribbean” by visiting a Jamaican restaurant where they tried some new
dishes.
In Unit 3: Community Outreach - Inclusive, we learnt more about leadership, and gained firsthand knowledge about issues of social justice. This was done by supporting the work of not-for-profit agency Canadian Food For Children. Students had the profound opportunity to meet CEO and Founder Andrew Simone, and man who was directly commissioned by mother Theresa herself to begin his work with the poor which catalyzed the creation and transnational mission of CFFC.
In Unit 4: Determination and People, we
continue to examine how overcoming obstacles is key to building character and
experiencing positive success. Students completed research on notable global
citizens, and designed a “Biography in a Box” to showcase their work. They also
took a trip to the PDSB Finlayson Centre where they participated in a High
Ropes Challenge!
In Unit 5: Food For Thought, students are taken deeper into learning
about the world around them. In this unit, students further considered what
they can do to develop their leadership potential while becoming more socially
conscious and aware global citizens. Our specific focus was on the issue of food
security in Canada and around the globe. Pamphlets on the topic were created,
and ideas for a food drive were generated by students to devise ways to support
members of our communities.
Unit 6: Power focused on understanding how education can be used to
leverage power in Canadian society. In Unit 7: Respect Through the Ages,
students traveled to Medieval Times to engage in an interactive lesson on
England’s Feudal System, and to complete a Smore media assignment to identify
how chivalry and respect has been demonstrated across cultures and ages.
Our upcoming unit 8,9, and 10 trips and activities include a discussion
on debunking stigmas surrounding youth homelessness facilitated by Mike Burnett
of Youth Without Shelter, a trip to the Neuberger
Holocaust Education Centre where students will learn about empathy and
determination by meditating on the experiences of a Holocaust survivor, and
will visit the Daily Bread Food Bank to take part in their Youth Program to support
the fight against hunger.
PASS is doing great things through the perseverance of
our students and the leadership of our staff!
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