Andrea Simmons, Author at Learning Bird

Season’s Greetings and Holiday Closure Notice

As 2023 draws to a close, we would like to take a moment to express our heartfelt gratitude for your continued partnership and support throughout the year.

This holiday season, we extend our warmest wishes to you and your loved ones. May the spirit of joy and togetherness fill your homes with laughter and happiness.

As part of the winter holiday season, please be advised that our offices will be closed from December 25th to January 1st inclusively. During this time, our team will take a well-deserved break to recharge and spend quality time with family and friends.

Wishing you a joyous holiday season and a prosperous New Year!

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September 30th – A Day of Learning

Earlier this year, the Government of Canada passed legislation to make September 30 a federal holiday. It is the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. Federal public employees have the day off work to recognize and commemorate the legacy of residential schools in Canada. Furthermore, it is a learning opportunity.

Commitment to Truth and Reconciliation

At Learning Bird, we are committed to Truth and Reconciliation. We support all Canadians having a day of reflection. It is important to honour the children lost to the residential school system. Canadians must reflect on the ongoing intergenerational impact of residential schooling on Indigenous families and communities.

Annual Day of Learning

However, we believe true reconciliation can only come after truth. To get to a place of truth, we all have to do a lot of learning and unlearning. That is why we have decided as a team to make September 30 an annual day of learning at Learning Bird.

Each year, we will set aside September 30 for team members to further their knowledge about truth and reconciliation topics. Every team member is in a different place on their learning journey. We are not prescribing activities or tasks for our staff to participate in. Team members can read, take a course, listen to podcasts, or watch documentaries. They can play a game, attend an in-person or virtual event, or participate in community ceremonies. The goal is to provide them with time to explore, learn, connect, and reflect.

Our Plans for National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

We all have different plans for the day. I plan to listen to a few episodes of Still Here, Still Healing. It’s a podcast hosted by Learning Bird Alumni Jade Roberts and jump ahead a few weeks in my Indigenous Canada Course from the University of Alberta.

Here’s what other team members are looking forward to learning or doing on September 30.

Virtual Truth and Reconciliation Week Events

“I plan to attend and bring my students to some of the virtual Truth and Reconciliation Week events hosted by the National Centre of Truth and Reconciliation (NCTR). I am looking forward to the event Beyond Orange Shirt Day. I hope the community will be able to gather to mark the day safely.” – Hannah Arseneau-Daniels, Instructional Designer at Learning Bird and part-time educator at Mezi Community School in Wha Ti, NWT

Indigenous Canada Course

“I will continue taking the Indigenous Canada Course from the University of Alberta. I am over halfway through the 12-week course, and it has been very enlightening to learn more about Canadian history from an Indigenous worldview.” – Henry Ryan, Chief Executive Officer

Aboriginal Worldviews and Education Course

“My plan for September 30 is to revisit a course I took in my post-grad from my favourite professor and friend, Jean-Paul Restoule. The course is Aboriginal Worldviews and Education at the University of Toronto, now offered as a free course via Coursera. I also plan to rent We Were Children from the NFB, a film directed by Tim Wolochatiuk.” – Ashley Hamilton, Education Specialist

Pîkiskwêtân Indigenous Directions Learning Series

“I’m planning to dive into the Companion Resource Guides for a new learning series Concordia University has introduced called the Pîkiskwêtân Indigenous Directions Learning Series. These guides link to books, articles, and University resources that contain a lot of information.” – Rebecca Smith, Education Projects Coordinator

Sharing Our Learning

We’ve shared a list of events, activities, recommended media, and learning opportunities with the team. We have encouraged everyone to add to this list as they discover new and interesting resources.

Our team is looking forward to their day of exploration and learning. We are excited to share our knowledge through group discussions and lunch and learn sessions throughout the year.

How will you be spending your day on September 30? Drop us an email to let us know.

Virtual Summer Camp Program: Digital Storytelling

Looking for a fun and interactive program for youth in your community this summer? We’re offering a new virtual summer camp program! It will provide youth interested in media arts an opportunity to develop their creative skills and express themselves as artists. This two-week program focuses on digital storytelling and helping youth find and use their voice to tell stories using technology.

In this session, youth will:

Learn the fundamentals of storytelling
Workshop their story ideas in group activities and one-on-one mentor sessions
Participate in in-class video production, stop-motion, and editing sessions
Find their voices through various creative exercises using different technologies
Explore how to create and share their digital stories on social media platforms
Discuss how to become socially conscious of their online presence
Complete three digital storytelling projects to showcase at the end-of-program screening celebration

Duration: Sessions run for two consecutive weeks. Our team will offer sessions in July and August.
Timing: Sessions are 2 hours per day, 10 am – 12 pm or 2 pm – 4 pm.
Technology Required: Youth will need access to a tablet or cell phone with a camera.
Maximum number of participants per session: 10 campers
Target audience: Youth aged 12-15

To learn more and inquire about pricing, please contact us by email or phone at 1-888-844-9022 ext. 808.

virtual summer camp workshop youth programs

The Anishnaabemowin Project at Sagamok

We are very excited to celebrate the official launch of the Anishnaabemowin Project at Sagamok Anishnawbek. This project was developed over the last few years and it involved creating over 75 videos that showcase Anishnaabemowin as it relates to the community’s history, identity, land, and relationships.

language project language resources Sagamok

Print-Based Resources for At-Home Learning Packs

Did you know that in addition to video-based content, the Learning Bird platform also includes hundred of printable resources for at-home packs?

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Fall Webinar Series: Registration is Open

Sign up for one of our free webinars in our fall webinar series. Topics include resources on the Secret Path, to culturally responsive assessment, to outdoor learning.

assessment fall outdoor learning Secret Path webinar

Building In-Community Capacity with Our New Virtual Training Program

When creating school and community-based resources, we like to ensure that they are a true reflection of our partners’ local language and culture.

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Returning to Fall Learning with Course Packs

In the fall, there may be a bigger focus on at-home learning to help meet social distancing requirements in schools. Our new custom Course Packs are a great addition to help teachers support at-home instruction.

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Production Services for Organizations

During our battle with COVID-19, organizations need new skills and support. This is why we are temporarily expanding our service offerings to help organizations adapt and address their content creation and production needs.

corporate training development HR materials development needs remote media production resource creation

Onsite Student Workshops

Did you know that in addition to our training and professional development workshops for teachers, we also offer student-facing workshops? Our team of teachers can come onsite to your school to lead a student-facing workshop on a variety of different topics.

interviewing job skills media storytelling student workshops