“Fighting for women’s rights has too often become synonymous with man hating. If there is one thing I know for certain, it is that this has to stop. For the record, feminism by definition is the belief that men and women should have equal rights and opportunities. It is the theory of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes.” – Emma Watson at the United Nations
Most teenagers are well aware of the dangers of vaping, but do it anyway. Our student, Sophia Coopman, tried to find out why young people start to, and continue to, vape despite the many health concerns, and how we can encourage youth to make healthier choices for...
This week we celebrated Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Day. You’ve probably seen us using the term, but what does SEL really mean and how do we integrate it into our programs? In schools, the main focus is often aimed at academics, but emotional intelligence is...
Leading up to International Women’s Day, we asked Sophia vom Bauer Jackson, service manager at the Salt Spring Island Public Library, to make a list of contemporary female-focused books. This is her Top 5 (fiction and non-fiction) plus some extra recommendations (all...
Teenagers crave and seek risks. It helps them to develop and grow. We often think of risk-taking as dangerous, but risk-taking is not always negative. Healthy risk-taking – like hiking up a mountain, riding a unicycle, or performing on stage – helps kids build...
School is almost out, and students will have a well-deserved break from class. However, learning doesn’t have to stop completely as soon as school is out for the year. The holidays are the perfect time to practice kindness and generosity. We've curated five tips to...
On December 6th, 1989, the day that fourteen young women at l’École Polytechnique in Montreal were killed by a gunman as a deliberate act of violence against women, Quinn Mulherin (21, she/they*) wasn’t born yet. She learned about the tragedy years later when she...
Salt Spring Island does not have a lot of facilities to accommodate young people, but we do have The Core (Inn) on McPhilipps Avenue. It is a safe place where island youth can come together to hang out, play music and games, and where snacks and healthy food are...
Valeskca San Martin, a French immersion teacher at Salt Spring Elementary, has had the Respect Program – former Respectful Relationships - in her classroom for almost a decade. She sees social-emotional learning as an essential addition to the academics that are...