A home life that supports and reinforces learning at school is vital to our mission to provide creative and courageous leadership by delivering exceptional education through the integration of arts, science, and technology. We are committed to providing educational opportunities for parents that will empower you to support your child's learning at home.
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Past Events
Past Events
Youth Mental Health and Well-Being With Dr. Hasina Samji
Youth Mental Health and Well-Being With Dr. Hasina Samji
June 4, 2024 at 6:15pm
We are fortunate to have Dr. Hasina Samji, UA parent and also a keynote speaker at this year’s CAIS National Leaders Conference in Vancouver, speak to us about this important topic.
Session Summary
We discussed trends in young people’s mental health and well-being in BC and how the COVID-19 pandemic affected youth mental health. We heard from young people, through survey findings, how parents, schools and communities can support student wellbeing. Lastly, parents learned the concept of “positive childhood experiences,” key active ingredients to support their child’s mental wellbeing.
About Dr. Hasina Smaji
Dr. Hasina Samji is an Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Health Sciences at Simon Fraser University, a Senior Scientist in Population Mental Wellbeing at the BC Centre for Disease Control, and the Director of the Capturing Health and Resilience Trajectories (chartlab.ca) lab. She completed her PhD in infectious disease epidemiology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and is an expert in youth mental health and well-being and school health.
Dr. Samji leads the Youth Development Instrument (YDI), an interdisciplinary study measuring predictors of positive youth well-being, mental health, and development in high school students. She is also the co-Principal Investigator of the BC Children’s Hospital Personal Impacts of COVID-19 Survey (PICS) study measuring the mental health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2023, she became a US National Academy of Sciences Kavli Fellow.
AI: How Students Should Use it and What Does it Mean for their Education? With Jill Kowalchuk from Amii (Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute)
AI: How Students Should Use it and What Does it Mean for their Education? With Jill Kowalchuk from Amii (Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute)
Wednesday, April 10, 2024 at 7pm
Thank you to those who joined us for our Parent Education evening on Wednesday via Zoom. The topic was AI and Its Impact on Education. If you weren’t able to join us, our presenter, Jill Kowalchuk, shared some links that are available on the Amii website:
Recent podcast episode on AI in education with two of U of A computing science professors (Spotify | YouTube)
Recording of a previous presentation. From Alexa to Algorithms: Parenting In The Era of AI
Session Summary:
Things are changing quickly in the area of Artificial Intelligence and is impacting industries in a myriad of ways. This session will speak to how AI impacts education - teachers, students and parents - and how we are all adjusting to keep up. Jill Kowalchuk is the K-12 Education Advisor with the Training team at Amii. Jill has been a junior high and high school social studies teacher in Alberta for the past six years. She has also worked as an educational consultant and educational researcher and will share research and insights as to what AI means to education in general, and more specifically, to our students.
Topics will include:
What is AI and how does it work - focusing on Generative AI like ChatGPT
How AI will impact education
Ethics of AI in Education
Conversation starters for parents when talking to children about AI
In conjunction with this great workshop, you might find this article, Parents and Teachers: Roll Back on the Eye Rolls, from Actionable Insights at Harvard on how to talk tech with your teens very helpful: When it comes to talking about tech with your kids, try empathy instead.
Technology & Our Youth
Technology & Our Youth
Date: November 15 , 2023
Guest speaker: Jesse Miller from MediatedReality.com.
This session explored media literacy, the delicate balance of screen time, addressing negative online interactions and experiences, and harnessing the positive potential of social media and associated Internet tools.
Setting The Bar High: Our Commitment to Excellence
Setting The Bar High: Our Commitment to Excellence
Date: April 4 , 2023 • Host: Ms. Ball
Discover how Urban Academy is raising the bar for excellence in education with our Middle and Senior School Programs. We shared insights on our enriched program, student achievement and post-secondary admissions data.
This event provided a great opportunity for families to learn more about our program, and for potential new families to find out what sets UA apart.
Askable Adult Parent Session
Askable Adult Parent Session
Date: January 11, 2023
Talking to your children about sexuality and reproduction can be difficult for parents/adults. This 2–hour online workshop takes parents/adults through exercises to discover why they might feel uncomfortable talking about sex with their children and provides strategies for parents on how to overcome these feelings. Parents will also look at how to begin discussions and how to share information with children in a clear and understandable way. You will gain insight into:
What kind of sexual health information is needed at various ages
How to handle your child’s questions
What kinds of words to use
How to discuss feelings, emotions, and your family’s values
Exploring your own personal beliefs around sensitive topics
An introduction to our Student Counselling team, this webinar shares some background information on Julia and Tara, and learn more about supporting their children and teens’ mental health and wellness.
Student Counselling Team
Jr. Counsellor: Julia McCarron, MC RCC
Sr. Counsellor: Tara Worth, MC RCC
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