Across Canada, educators and school leaders are working to expand opportunities for Indigenous students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Yet meaningful progress requires more than simply increasing access to STEM courses or technology. It involves creating learning environments that recognize Indigenous knowledge systems, build strong community partnerships, and
Our world needs STEM, and STEM needs Indigenous perspectives. Indigenous Peoples have always been scientists—with long histories of observing ecosystems, using engineering to build sustainable tools and homes, and applying mathematics to navigation and art. Promoting Indigenous perspectives in STEM helps develop deeper insights into sustainability, land stewardship, and community-based innovation. Equally important, it empowers Indigenous youth to pursue STEM education and
Samuel Freeze, Simon Fraser University In the aftermath of violent tragedies like the recent mass shooting in Tumbler Ridge, B.C., a common panic-fueled and grief-stricken reaction is to rush to simple, tidy explanations. Mental illness, for example, is often used to make sense of what appears to be senseless. The
Kawser Ahmed, University of Manitoba As the nation mourns after Canada’s deadliest school shooting in modern history, a question looms for people both close to the events and further away: Why? As with other mass shootings, this painful question is complex and difficult to answer. As reported by the New
Across Canada, educators and administrators are facing an increasingly urgent challenge: how to respond to the rising mental health needs of students with resources that are often stretched thin or unavailable altogether. While most students experiencing mental health challenges never become violent, persistent gaps in support systems can allow distress
Article 1 of 7: Finding Your Way Back You know that feeling when you’re at a party – a good party, the kind with decent music and people you actually like – and somewhere around the second drink you realize you’re watching yourself at the party? Like there’s a you
Canadian Schools are rightly concerned with the importance of considering our students mental health and well-being. Students’ mental health needs are ever changing and growing. As a school counsellor, I have seen this growing need firsthand. What I have also seen is a growing need to address the reality that
In classrooms across Canada, academic achievement has long defined student success. But an essential truth has become increasingly clear: students struggle to thrive academically if they are struggling emotionally. Anxiety, depression, loneliness, identity questions, family stress, and the pressures of social media follow young people into school each day. Increasingly,
