A mixture of theatre and humanitarianism has given a Ridgetown elementary school global recognition.
Last year, Grade 8 students at St. Michael Catholic School were learning about the refugee crisis, and Principal Julie Knight said it sparked a debate.
“Although some of our students started with a mindset that it might not be in our best interested as Canadians to welcome these refugees, there were other students with a differing perspective that it would be important for us to welcome these refugees,” Knight says. “Out of that discussion between students, they felt they needed to do something and wanted to do something to help refugees.”
The students produced a play from the perspective of a refugee family to raise awareness and money for a refugee family in Ridgetown.
This project was recognized by the New Pedagogies for Deep Learning global initiative because it demonstrates new ways of teaching complex issues.