Author Archives: caunicef

Campus UNICEF Book Review: Almost Home

Kevin Ryan and Tina Kelley’s Almost Home: Helping Kids Move from Homelessness to Hope familiarizes us with the life stories of six young people, who felt a lack of belonging at certain phases in their lives. It places emphasis on the various struggles they went through in early childhood and adolescence, and how they used the lessons learned to better themselves. Covenant House (a charity that looks after the well-being of homeless and trafficked youth)  played a massive role in their improvement. The issues that this non-fiction sheds light on include family violence, prostitution, teen parenthood, rejection based on sexual orientation, and aging out of foster care without a family. In addition to the heartbreaking yet inspirational stories from the youth, the book reveals a set of alarming statistics with regards to the issues, making it all the more important to raise awareness about homelessness and the dangers affiliated with it. 

Decolonization of Education: The Alberta UCP Curriculum Draft

The Alberta UCP’s K-6 curriculum draft produced a lot of controversy with the public and with Alberta’s teachers. Teachers and parents expressed feelings of frustration, anger and disappointment because they felt that the curriculum was racist and effectively omitting important lessons in history. The Edmonton school board asked education minister Adriana LaGrange to rewrite theContinue reading “Decolonization of Education: The Alberta UCP Curriculum Draft”

CRITICAL RACE THEORY — WHAT IT IS AND WHY IT MUST BE TAUGHT

Hi Campus Unicef Readers! In today’s blog, we dive into critical race theory – what it looks like, why it’s imperative the content is taught in Canadian curriculums, and important figures in critical race theory that youth should look up to. What is Critical Race Theory? Critical Race Theory (CRT) is the study of howContinue reading “CRITICAL RACE THEORY — WHAT IT IS AND WHY IT MUST BE TAUGHT”

BENT ARROW AND THE NEED FOR CULTURALLY-SPECIFIC SERVICES

TRIGGER WARNING: RESIDENTIAL SCHOOLS, ABUSE

Founded in 1994, the Bent Arrow Traditional Healing Society is a nonprofit specifically dedicated to serving Indigenous communities. They offer a comprehensive range of services including employment, housing, and cultural resources.  Their target population includes a diverse age group, such as children,youth,seniors and families. Their mission is to “build upon the strengths of Aboriginal children, youth and families to enable them to grow spiritually, emotionally, physically and mentally so that they can walk proudly in both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal communities.” 

AMBER VALLEY: CANADA’S BLACK COMMUNITY

The community of Amber Valley, Alberta was founded in 1910 by African American families from Oklahoma, Texas, and other nearby states. Seeking a life away from segregationist Jim Crow laws, racial hostility, and violence in the US, they came in response to the Canadian government’s offer of free land in the western part of the country.

POST-COVID IMMIGRATION TO CANADA

One area that Canadian leaders are seeing a change in as we slowly enter into our next chapter of post-COVID is the rise of Canadians’ disagreement with the number of immigrants being allowed into the country. As Canada moves forward, how can we really move forward holistically? Not just from point A to B but where do we want to end up? Extreme circumstances can cause us to be short-sided when it comes to our next steps, but as a nation, who do we want to be? If Canada was a person, who would they be?

THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC EXPOSES THE NECESSITY OF FAST INTERNET SERVICE FOR RURAL STUDENTS

How Does Poor Internet Service Affect Rural Students? With the rise of the COVID-19 pandemic, universities and schools across the country were forced to shut down, sending millions of Canadian students back home. While these have been difficult times for all students as they deal with the unique challenges and unpredictable nature of online schooling,Continue reading “THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC EXPOSES THE NECESSITY OF FAST INTERNET SERVICE FOR RURAL STUDENTS”

CANADIAN FEDERAL ELECTION 2021: WHAT YOUTH NEED TO KNOW

Hello UNICEF Readers! We are so excited you’ve clicked on this blog, as today we’ll be addressing everything you need to know for the upcoming Federal Canadian Snap Election! With constant campaigns, social media updates, and news articles, it can be hard to make sense of what’s happening and how to get involved. We’re here to help! Today, we break down Canada’s electoral system, the purpose of this election, a brief summary of the parties running, and some extra tips. We feel it’s important for youth voters to be informed, and we hope this blog helps you better understand how this upcoming election will work!