Leadership Group hosts Poverty Awareness Symposium June 15th

Students from Rainbow District School Board’s First Nation, Metis and Inuit Youth Leadership Group will host a Poverty Awareness Symposium at Sudbury Secondary School on Friday, June 15th, 2012 from 10 am to 2 pm.

Grade 7 and 8 students, both Native and non-Native, will attend the symposium where they will participate in a number of workshops. “We commend our Aboriginal Support Worker, Tracy Recollet, for working with the Leadership Group to organize this symposium,” said Sudbury Secondary School Principal Paul Camillo. “We look forward to an informative day.”

The Leadership Group decided to focus on poverty two years ago. Since then, individual schools have been leading initiatives to address the issue. One school applied for Speak Up grants to support students with sports equipment and fees. Another school planted gardens.

The group also produced eight Public Service Announcement videos focused on poverty. These videos will be used in the workshops. As well, the students designed a First Nation, Métis and Inuit Youth Leadership Group logo with the help of Rainbow District School Board graduate A.J. Elliott from Atikameksheng Anishnawbek.

Sudbury Secondary School received a Speak Up grant to help fund the Poverty Awareness Symposium, which is also being supported by the Rainbow District School Board through its First Nations, Métis and Inuit Education initiatives. Students participating in the symposium have been invited to bring in a non-perishable food item to donate to the local food bank to support families in need.

Poverty Symposium Agenda on June 15th, 2012

10 am to 10:30 am –
Opening Ceremony with guest speaker Elder Winnie Pitawanakwat and host Mary Hanna, Community Co-ordinator with the Social Planning Council of Sudbury

10:30 am to 11:15 am –
Break-out Workshops:

Darren McGregor of the N’Swakamok Homelessness Program hosts The Realities of Homelessness Workshop.

Margaret Gordon, Leah Groulx and Kaylie Gour host Medicine Pouch Teachings and Making Workshop.

Students and Aboriginal Support Worker Brian Slegers present Videos about Homelessness developed by the Rainbow District School Board Aboriginal Youth Group.

Sherry Desjardin from the Sudbury Action Youth Centre hosts a Youth Workshop.

11:15 am to 12 pm – Break-out Workshops continue

12 pm to 12:30 pm – Lunch – assisted by the Sudbury Secondary School Foods Class

12:30 pm to 1:15 pm – Break-out Workshops continue

1:15 pm to 2 pm – Fashion for Hunger Fashion Show with Tracy Toulouse, owner and designer, Swirling Wind Designs

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Media Contact:

Paul Camillo, Principal, Sudbury Secondary School,
Rainbow District School Board, 705-674-7551.