Capacity for Courage

How might we intentionally create opportunities for local New Brunswickers to connect and share experiences with the others outside of their circle?

The prototype took many forms and by the end of the lab the team had chosen to focus on the leverage point of educating children. The prototype is helping educators around New Brunswick to bring local and newcomer children closer together. This support includes a package of resources, train the trainer programming, grant program, and community of practice for educators in the Anglophone School District to bring cultural diversity awareness into the classroom and schools.

STATUS: Ongoing

UPDATE: A Capacity for Courage grant program for educators within the Anglophone School District was launched for teachers to bring cultural diversity awareness into classrooms and schools. 50 applications were received and 28 projects were awarded funding from between $300 to $4000. Recipients of the grants were encouraged to attend a 3 day mini lab training to further develop their ideas.

The Capacity for Courage training occurred over 3 days from July 30th to August 1st, 2018. 28 teachers and educational staff were in attendance. Teams had applied with projects in their schools to increase and support cultural diversity awareness amongst students and staff. The NouLAB team guided participants through a process of looking at personal motivations, values and beliefs as well as how those informed the projects they were developing. The main takeaways were: a strong network of teachers working on this issue, a support network as projects grow and develop, improved understanding of the root causes of cultural divides and racism issues and a sense of urgency to enact solutions in schools. The goal of this training was to provide provocation to the participants about what cultural diversity really means and to build solutions out of that deeper understanding. Going forward there will be checkins, updates, and measurement of the impact of the 28 projects that received funding. Lessons learned and resources will be shared with teachers throughout the province.

TEAM MEMBERS:

• Lauren Sears - Common Good Solutions

• Kathy Whynot - Specialist - English as Additional Language & Newcomer Children and Youth - Department of Education and Early Childhood Development

• Heather Keats - Consultant - Programs and Services - PETL (GNB)