Welcome back for Episode 8 of Season 2! For 17 episodes we have talked about the magic that happens when we prioritize care and connection in schools, and today we get a chance to hear from those who experienced it first hand. We have two former community school students joining us to share their experiences and thoughts about the community school model and the valuable skills they took away from it. We wanted to speak with them because we believe that supporting kids in these ways, and helping them develop these skills and aptitudes, only increases their ability to flourish academically.

RESOURCES:

https://curriculum.gov.bc.ca/competencies


QUOTE:

"No one is born a good citizen; no nation is born a democracy. Rather, both are processes that continue to evolve over a lifetime. Young people must be included from birth. A society that cuts off from its youth severs its lifeline." - Kofi Annan

BIO:

Natasha Rolleston is a second-year student studying in the Faculty of Education at SFU. Throughout her high school experience, she was a member of several clubs and programs including the Artona Ambassador Program, District Student Advisory Council, Mentorship Program, Yearbook Committee, and Youth Action Committee. During her free time, she also volunteered as a Camp Leader at a summer camp in Burnaby and as an assistant to the surgical counsellor at an Ophthalmology office in Vancouver. She works a Program Leader in a large lower mainland city, developing and supporting community programs for all ages. Natasha enjoys baking, photography, and playing video games during her spare time.

Rickesh Mysuria is a fourth-year student studying Computer Science at SFU. In high school, he was a part of Student Government, the Youth Action Committee, and the Mentorship Program. Outside of school, he volunteered with the Indo-African Charitable Society, The Hot Potato Initiative, and also started an afterschool program at the local elementary Community School, called MindBlown with the help of two friends. Currently, he is on co-op as an IT Project Analyst at the BCLDB. He also says he enjoys learning to play the guitar, skateboarding, and being outdoors.