Interculturalism at the Windermere Family of Schools

Presented by: Michelle, Ryley, Lizzie, Eric, and Alyssa

Connections and Engagements: A Survey of Metro Vancouver

“Over one-third of us have no close friends outside our own ethnic group: We generally believe that people prefer to be with others of the same ethnicity.”

“Indifference: we prefer to keep to ourselves, or have little interest in getting to know our neighbours.”

“The most often-cited reason for not participating in neighbourhood and community life is a feeling that we have little to offer”

“One-third of the people we surveyed say it is difficult to make new friends here. One in four say they are alone more often than they would like to be. In both cases, people who experience this also report poorer health, lower trust and a hardening of attitudes toward other community members.”

Clement , C., Rudnicki, D., Majorki, A., Chan, C., & Heraty, P. (2012, June). A survey of metro vancouver. Retrieved from

http://blogs.ubc.ca/kin489d/files/2012/09/Vancouver-Foundation-Report-Connections-Engagement-2012.pdf

Role of the INTERactive Initiative

If we as adults feel this way, what can we do to help future generations to lessen this feeling of disconnectedness?

❖ Teaching the concept of Intercultural Understanding to the children of the community at this grassroots level will benefit their well-being and that of the community for years to come

❖ The initial purpose of we the UBC group:➢ Provide an academic resource to the community ➢ Assist the community in documenting the project➢ Build capacity around the neighbourhood while gaining

insight into real-life community development.

Our September - December plan

Work together with the Windermere family of schools and other groups through meetings to:

• Identify existing skills

• Learn new skills

• Create an updated map of intercultural physical activities in the community

• Promote and collaborate on the initiative

• Document and review the project process

How Our Information Was Collected

❖ Information based on what the physical activity guidelines are currently offered at schools in this district

➢ A focus on whether intercultural aspects were apparent

❖ Met with Action Schools BC representative

➢ Gained insight into existing efforts to increase physical activity within the schools

➢ Basic understanding of necessary steps towards the promotion of a new concept within the school setting

❖ Meeting with School Leads: Principals from 4 different schools and INTERactive representatives

➢ Input from the Leads to gain relativity to their schools

How Our Information Was Collected

❖ During this meeting knowledge was exchanged and a greater understanding of project goals were gained

➢ School Leads wanted change in process and more tangible results

➢ Unable to implement program due to time constraints of this course and inability to guarantee future involvement of UBC students

❖ Barriers in the school system were made clear by the School Leads

❖ A survey for Windermere Family of Schools faculty was designed to:

➢ Give basic Intercultural definition

➢ Document Intercultural activities currently being offered

➢ Demonstrate how increasing interculturalism could benefit the schools

❖ Survey was sent out to 8 schools

➢ Two schools responded with only 7 surveys filled out in total

➢ Information on surveys were compiled and analyzed

➢ Generalizations were not able to be made because of the lack of information given on majority of surveys

➢ Greater understanding was taken away from the surveys though it was narrow in focus

How Our Information Was Collected

Activities that Currently Exist within the Windermere Schools

❖ Brain Breaks/Movement Breaks

➢ Jump to the Bell, Braindance, outside circuit running in between periods

❖ Morning Tai Chi

❖ Pink Project Flashmob

➢ Students and teachers help send message of acceptance in coordination with other schools across the lower mainland

❖ Deliver cultural education through Aboriginal Curriculum

➢ Games from Inuit culture

Other Programs that Promote Interculturalism within Schools

❖ Peer Educators

❖ Roots of Empathy

➢ Classroom program for children in grades K-8 that raises social/emotional competence and increases empathy

❖ Choir

❖ Windermere Buddy Program

➢ After school program, in partnership with CNH, designed to help immigrant youth adjust to their new surroundings

Barriers Within the Schools

❖ Teachers’ time and resources are already spread thin

➢ Required to spend many after school hours with lesson plans, marking, other school projects

➢ Prevents availability for coordinating and participating

❖ Funding

➢ Budgets don’t accommodate unlimited school projects and programs - need to prioritize which programs are more important at a given time

Barriers Within the Schools

❖ Lacking clear understanding of interculturalism➢ Confused by the difference between multiculturalism and

interculturalism

❖ Need reliable and committed volunteers that are willing to see a large project through from start to finish

❖ Language ➢ Parents express interest in volunteering but have language

barriers preventing them from doing so

In a Perfect World Teachers Would Like to

See ….❖ More school-based activities outside of school hours

❖ Speakers/volunteers from different cultures

❖ Cultural role models

❖ Student leaders facilitating lunch time clubs and sporting activities

❖ School dance team - need a mirrored dance space

❖ Intercultural nights - music, dance, art, food

Our Barriers

❖ Our original ideas and visions did align with the ideas and visions of the School Leads

➢ Wanted to work directly with the schools and students but timing did not allow for that

➢ Due to the extensive time and commitment required for building a strong partnership, the time constraints of a one semester class was greatly limiting

❖ This is a project that will take continuous action to implement

➢ This semester was focused on laying the groundwork for a partnership between CNH, the Windermere Schools and UBC KIN students

Suggested Next Steps

❖ One-on-one work with students from each school to explore what THEY want to see as well as to help build intercultural leaders within each school

❖ Interculturalism workshop opportunities for teachers

❖ Cement partnership with UBC

➢ Partner with other KIN courses to include student participation throughout the year - eg. KIN 469 (Exercise Prescription), KIN 454B or C (Field Experience), etc.

Future Directions for the Windermere Schools Project

❖ Future Project Possibilities will require:

➢ Committed volunteers that are willing to see this project through - will help combat the barriers of limited teacher time and school funding

❖ Incorporating Intercultural activities into Social Studies classes

➢ Class projects could include assignments that encourage cross-cultural understanding

❖ “INTERactive Day”

➢ Station-based activity day where a variety of intercultural activities can promote physical activity as well as connectedness and intercultural understanding.

Suggestions: Intercultural Activities

❖ “INTERactive day” could include:

❖ Yoga

➢ Hatha, Laughter, Vinyasa, Ashtanga

❖ Dance

➢ Cultural folk dancing, Chinese ribbon dance, Zumba

❖ Aboriginal dance and drumming

❖ Modified Sports

➢ Sitting Volleyball, Goalball

References http://www.actionschoolsbc.ca/

http://blogs.ubc.ca/kin489d/files/2012/09/Vancouver-Foundation-Report-Connections-Engagement-2012.pdf

http://renfrewcollingwoodcommunitynews.com/2013/07/08/new-health-and-physical-activity-project-moves-residents/