Change Agent Mikayla From Shanty Bay Ps, Oro Medonte, On My name is Mikayla and I am now in grade 6 Last year I organized a run/walk in support...
Read MoreChange Agent Maeve From Shanty Bay Ps, Oro Medonte, On My name is Maeve and I am a grade 5 student at Shanty Bay Public School. I am part...
Read MoreChange Agent Holly From Shanty Bay Ps, Oro Medonte, On I am a Change Agent at Shanty Bay Public School. Last year I started a project when I was...
Read MoreChange Agent Madison From Shanty Bay Ps, Oro Medonte, On My name is Madison and I am now in Grade 6. I am passionate about the topic Youth Mental...
Read MoreChange Agent Nari From Shanty Bay Ps, Oro Medonte, On A Change Agent is someone who makes positive change in global issues. I made a mixed media artwork that...
Read MoreChange Agent Noah From Shanty Bay Ps, Oro Medonte, On My Change Agent project in 2017-2018 was on Food Insecurity which is an inadequate or insecure access to food...
Read MoreSafe Space
Co-creating a space where people feel that they can speak out in spite of their fears is a vital step in the process of learning how to become a changemaker. Empathy researcher Brene Brown explains that being empathetic requires that we be present and wholly engaged without our ‘protective armour’. People wear armour to try to become invisible or fit in with others to hide what they consider to be defects or embarrassing qualities for fear of being judged, labeled, or bullied. It is difficult to feel empathy for others when you are cut off from yourself.
For this reason, we’re starting the change closest to home. Everyone in the changemaking process needs to feel valued, seen, and heard. Because of the culture we inherited and the way our brains work, all of us carry biases. This isn’t wrong or bad, it’s what we do with them that matters. Being humbled can lead to personal transformation.
The exercises below will help you to:
Once the principles of the safe space have been defined and agreed upon by all, they can be used, reinforced, and referred back to as needed throughout the time you share together.
Design Thinking & the Deskless Classroom(Exercise, Time will vary)
Create a Classroom Contract(30-45 minutes)
Learn how to listen: Are you a good listener? (video 5 min + opportunities for deeper thinking)
Empathy & Equity: From the Stanford D.school, this exercise gives designers to an opportunity to pause and notice their biases(15 min daily over the course of week).
Cross the Line: (30-60 min.) We live in a diverse world. In this exercise we will explore the diversity among us by thinking about our values, our backgrounds, our teachers, and our experiences.
CCDI: Explore Power and Privilege (Toolkit with various exercises)