North Central Teachers' Convention 2020

A cultural exchange is a unique opportunity for authentic learning to take place in the hearts and minds of children and adults. Teachers across our nation today face big challenges in implementing Truth and Reconciliation Calls to Action. We look within to find ways to build trust and work toward connecting and healing to bring Indigenous and non-Indigenous people closer together. A cultural exchange can be safe ground for building life changing understandings. Maxine Hildebrandt and Lisl Gunderman are recipients of the 2018 Governor General's History Award for Excellence in Teaching. Their award winning cultural exchange brought together students from Mother Earth's Children's Charter School, an Indigenous charter school, and Wildwood School, a tiny rural public school. Students in neighboring schools shared one another's histories and differing perspectives which resulted in meaningful and transformational bonds between students, teachers and communities. In this workshop you will come away with the first steps of an Action Plan to create a cultural exchange of your own. This session is well suited for teachers, administrators and leadership.