We started with a consideration of the self. We looked at our values, beliefs, and actions, our strengths and opportunities, our learning style and preferences. We explored what stops us from learning, how to manage stress, and the definition of mental health. We discussed the importance of community.

We narrowed down our community values and decided on our guiding principles as a learning community. We asked: Is our school healthy? Students engaged with the design thinking model to come up with solutions to problems they were seeing in their school community.

We welcomed amazing guest speakers (see list below). Students conducted empathy interviews. They ideated, created prototypes and shared their thinking. Some became real changemakers in their school community to help it become a healthier place.

As a community, we considered big world issues - things that we were seeing every day in the news and on social media. We tackled big ideas like the global pandemic, systemic racism, and climate change. Students dove into topics like vaccine hesitancy, Islamophobia, Truth & Reconciliation, RCMP and defunding the police, rising sea levels, animal extinction, plastic pollution and many more. We asked: Are we in a period of progress or decline? Is there evidence of both?

STUDENT VOICE:

What was the most important thing you learned from this inquiry?

Scout - For me, it was how we are lucky to have open minded students, teachers and staff.

Mia - For me, design thinking. It really interests me and I think it will really help me in the future. I learned about how much I care about mental health and this project proved to me how important it is. I think the school really cares, and how we just spent a month doing a project about improving our school. About empathy, I learned to be more empathetic to those with mental illness. I am grateful we had a chance to have an impact on our school. Because we are children and it was cool that we had a chance to actually improve our school.

Parker - It was important that as students that we could learn about our school. I think all the learning strategies we learned helped too. Like mindmapping and the linear planner.

Delilah - One of the most important things was how to ask unbiased questions; I would have got very different results. I used to think it was just teachers and staff and how they got to make all the rules. Now I see this school cares about us.

Robyn - I think as students we’re really privileged to have this opportunity, I think sometimes adults don’t care about what students have to say because they think we’re going to mess everything up.