The Wesley Group Invades University of Toronto

Engaging Aboriginal Youth
AEC 3133: Special Topics in Aboriginal Community Learning

On Monday, May 5, 2008...

I officially became a Sessional Instructor for the Department of Adult Education and Counselling Psychology, University of Toronto.

I was asked to do this about 5 months ago from Jean-Paul Restoule, a faculty member of OISE ( http://www.oise.utoronto.ca/ ). He heard about my work across the country and thought I would be a great fit to be an instructor for the graduate program. It had to be focused on aboriginal youth, so he gave me flexibility to design my own course. Thanks to Jean-Paul for helping me develop and format out the syllabus for the course.

We have 12 committed graduate students who are enrolled in the course. Rather than just learning from me, we are going to learning from our Aboriginal Youth directly. Each participant is assigned a youth partner, who will assist them in all of their assignments. This is a unique and refreshingly different aspect of the course. Rather than just learning from books, the participants are excited about being able to interact and learn from people.

I tell you, I am so excited and tremendously honoured to be asked to do this. This validates all of my work over the last 11 years work at the principal owner of The Wesley Group.

Stay tuned for more updates.

Kickin' the in out of intolerance

On May 1, 2008...

I was asked to be the keynote at the Aboriginal Cultural Awareness and Student Acheivement Symposium at Six Nations.

Here I am working it. Turns out my speech drove one participant to drinking, do you see that lady in front of me? Just joshing, the coffee was good from what I can gather.

I led a group activity of intolerance, I had the tables work together discussing and sharing their ideas and feelings on intolerance and how to make our schools a safer and more tolerant place where we can celebrate cultural diversity.
Have you ever heard a keynote and wondered when they would shut up so you could have a chance to share something valuable. I have, and it's frustrating. The way I look at it, the people in the crowd have opinions and ideas that need to be heard. My job is easy, to create an atmosphere where people feel comfortable to share. I was impressed with the knowledge in the room, they had some wonderful ideas.

Thank you to Deneen Montour and the rest of the participants for welcoming me and for participating in my session.

Nice suit eh?

Wonderbar in Wahta!

On Friday May 25, 2008...
I was invited to lead a workshop at Aboriginal Education Awareness Symposium in Wahta of the Mohawk Territory. It was a chance for the First Nation people to showcase a little bit of their culture for our non-first nation friends and bridge that gap a little bit more.


I was so honoured to be included in such an impressive line-up of presenters. Here Dr. Pamela Rose Tollouse is completely engaging the audience with her keynote address on Aboriginal Students and Self-Esteem. She was an excellent presenter, I was so impressed. She really mixed it up man, she had people moving around and interacting. Now that's how I roll baby!

I was presenting some information on Cree Syllabics and celebrating cultural diversity in the classroom. Here is a just a few names translated from english into cree. Can you read any?

Here is James Bartleman, former Lieutenant Governor speaking on First Nations in the surrounding area of Muskoka.

Here is James and I after the keynote. You know, I meet hundreds of people a year and when I see someone from one of my trips, I have a real hard time remembering their name or even their face sometimes. James blew me away! I met him very briefly in Quebec city a few years ago. I was thanking him for all of his literacy work in our communities up north and I did mention to him where I was from. When I approached him for a pic, he remembered me.

I've been using the excuse for years that it's impossible for me to remember everyone, there's just too many. But James changed my life. I will never use that one ever again. Here's a guy who meets hundreds of people a month or even a week and he remembered me. I know he probably doesn't remember everyone, but it just gave me more motivation to start using the other 99% of my brain more.

What a time in Wahta, thank to my friends for seeing value in my work and including me in a great line-up of speakers.