Courtenay-Alberni MP Gord Johns welcomed three secondary school teachers from Parksville and Qualicum Beach to the 23rd Teachers Institute on Parliamentary Democracy in Ottawa last month.
“One of the best parts of my job is visiting classrooms throughout the riding to engage with students and I never fail to be impressed with the amazing work that our teachers are doing to facilitate learning about our democratic processes,” said Johns, in a press release. “These teachers were selected to attend this institute because of their dedication to quality education in our community.”
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Co-ordinated by the Library of Parliament, the Teachers Institute on Parliamentary Democracy is an intensive professional development opportunity to engage Canadian educators with Parliament and collaborate on strategies to teach governance and promote civic engagement among their students. Key issues discussed by the teachers relate to citizenship and democracy as they develop strategies for teaching these fields, taking what they learn back to the classroom.
Olivia Hill, a teacher at Ballenas Secondary in Parksville, was selected for a three-year term as a facilitator and as the institute’s representative for British Columbia after attending as a teacher participant in 2018.
“In my new role, I help organize workshops and lead discussions regarding Canadian parliamentary democracy for the 70 teachers who attend the institute from coast to coast to coast,” said Hill. “I had the opportunity to connect participants with their Members of Parliament. It was an honour working alongside Gord this year, as he generously donated his time to meet with the teachers from his constituency and provide them with a behind-the-scenes tour of the House of Commons.”
Mischa Oak, a teacher at Ballenas, and Rebecca Weiss, a Qualicum Beach Collaborative Education Alternative Program teacher, also attended the event.
— NEWS staff