Trailblazers and Pathmakers

The Importance of Inspiring Young Women By Betsy Macdonnell ’18 (reprinted from Just Another People Person) The first time sexism revealed itself in my life, I was six years old. In Kindergarden, it was playground tradition for the boys to play kickball at lunch. From a young age, I was rather confident, and I didn’t think twice about joining the game. I stepped into the line to play when one of my male classmates turned to me and said, “you can’t play kickball, you’re a girl.” At the time I was shocked, and annoyed, but mostly because I just wanted to play with the boys. With the help of my female classmates, I eventually convinced the boys to let me join. Flash forward 11 years. Although feminism was still a strong belief of mine, it had been a while since I had been able to act on that belief. I…

Read moreTrailblazers and Pathmakers

Why Outdoor Education is Such an Important Part of the High School Experience

With outdoor education, the world is your child’s classroom. Far beyond the four walls of a traditional class, students with outdoor learning integrated into their curriculum become immersed in all the natural world has to offer - broadening their perspectives on their surroundings, their studies, and their own personal skill-sets. Pitching tents, starting fires, and acquiring wilderness first aid skills might not be part of the everyday high school experience. But for students in some of today’s top educational institutions, outdoor learning is an integral part of their studies, offering them both for-credit and extracurricular opportunities for adventure. Curious about what the great outdoors can offer high schoolers here in Canada? Read on. 1. Outdoor Education Strengthens a Child’s Self-Confidence and Self-Esteem There is substantial research to suggest that outdoor adventure programs positively impact young people's self-perception: their understandings of their own personal strengths, limitations, and the value they bring…

Read moreWhy Outdoor Education is Such an Important Part of the High School Experience

Lessons from “A Teenager’s View on Social Media”

I recently came across this post A Teenager’s View on Social Media and it made me think about how quickly technology is changing and how far ahead (in what a different space) young people are. The post contains the personal views of an “actual teen” (his words), a 19 year-old student in the U.S. commenting on the apps teenagers use and don't use. The young man admittedly writes (in his follow up post) that his views are based on personal opinion “to provide a different view based on [his] life in this ‘highly coveted’ age bracket.” I found his perspective interesting both as an educator and father for many reasons and have shared my observations below. Meeting our students where they are My first thought to the blog post was a question: How do we meet (communicate with) our students where they are? While I recognize that it is not considered "social media" (the…

Read moreLessons from “A Teenager’s View on Social Media”