Building a better world becomes part of the TDSB curriculum

“We felt badly that one-quarter of families in the school are on social assistance, so we want to support them,” said Wazba Faias, 12, at a presentation Wednesday of their project — complete with blossoming tomato seedlings — at Toronto District School Board headquarters.

“And this program would be confidential, so no families would be embarrassed,” added classmate Zeinab Khan.

They were among 80 students from 26 TDSB schools who showed off their varied social justice projects before the board meeting as part of a tribute to the late trustee Howard Kaplan, who died unexpectedly in April and was a champion of social justice.

The presentation was timed to be held in Jewish Heritage Month, and celebrated the Jewish tradition of tikkun olam, acts of kindness designed to “fix the world.”

Students spoke about school projects this year to fight animal cruelty, climate change, homelessness, racism and sexism, and to remember the Holocaust and indigenous women. Northlea Public School collected 1,800 books for young Syrian refugees. Grade 8 girls at Humbercrest Public School met monthly all year with MPP Cheri DiNovo to learn about women in politics — and were at Queen’s Park during a raucous Question Period debate on autism services when one female politician was removed for being unruly.

“We’re all excited about politics,” said Grade 8 student Emma Stuart-Kiss. “I’m thinking of it as a career.”

Lanor Road Public School principal Alison Gaymes San Vicente said teaching children about social justice “is critical. It’s about making things right, not just feeling sorry for a group of people and not just fundraising. It’s about activism, about looking for the factors that allow the injustice and putting them right.”

John A Leslie principal Greg McLeod said his school promotes children coming up with their own solutions to problems, through what educators call “the inquiry method,” and the idea of growing fresh local produce for low-income neighborhood families was the children’s idea.

“At our school, we see students as agents of change.”

In a particularly moving moment, students from Summit Height Public School sang the soulful Yiddish ballad Ofyn Pripetchik in memory of Kaplan, who was a proud supporter of Jewish culture.

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SOME OF THE PROJECTS

REDress Project: (Lanor Junior Middle School)

In a powerful twist on lessons about aboriginal people, Grade 6 teacher Danielle Koehler had her class at Lanor Public School sew a pure red dress as part of a national art project that uses a red dress to symbolize each of Canada’s 1,200 missing and murdered indigenous women. “Let’s say I went missing — there’d be a big search,” said student Holly Archer. “But aboriginal women? Not many people cared.” Added classmate Nika Vrankic: “We all wrote letters to Justin Trudeau to do something about it.”

Project Give Back (Lord Dufferin Public School)

The Grade 6 students at Lord Dufferin Public School were asked to pick a charity that “touched our hearts” on which to do research and offer support, so Tyanna Christey chose the Toronto Humane Society. “Do you know 200 pets are maimed every day?” She now gives part of her allowance to fight animal cruelty. Classmate Ishan Kalia chose the Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment’s charity foundation, “because I personally love sports and don’t like to see kids who don’t have a chance to play.”

Child Labour (Maurice Cody Public School)

“This basketball was made by child labour, but it’s not easy to just put a stop to it,” explained Grade 6 student Sam White, whose class learned that many poor families around the world rely on the income their children bring in. “But you fight child labour by fighting poverty and improving health care and education,” said Zoe Wallhouse, 12. Added classmate Lauren Nebesky: “We need to raise awareness. More governments need to be talking about it.”

Clean Water Project (Malvern Junior Public School)

Appalled to learn of the waste created by plastic water bottles, Grade 3 students at Malvern Junior Public School did a blindfold taste test of tap water and bottled water. “Tap water won,” said Sarrinah Tanveer. Since then, the students have been selling home-made bracelets and pins to raise money for water filtration systems in northern First Nations. “We think everyone should have access to clean tap water,” said classmate Dalia Saada.

Kindness Project (Shoreham Public School)

Students at Shoreham Public School, near Jane and Finch, have applied the Jewish tradition of “Tikkun Olam” by trying to “fix the world — be kinder than necessary.” Their proactive kindness campaign saw them write letters to children in hospital and to army veterans, and to keep “kindness journals” of acts they performed for others. Explained 11-year-old Alex Mitchell: “We want to be positive in our school, in our neighbourhood and in the world.”