Imagine Institute for Learning

AYP

Fri, 20 Jan 2023 20:06:03 GMT

The Imagine Training Series Experience featuring Abbottsfield Youth Project

The Imagine Training Series Experience featuring Abbottsfield Youth Project (AYP)

Over a two-month period at the end of 2022, Imagine had the immense pleasure of working with Abbottsfield Youth Project (AYP). Our journey together has been mutually rewarding and we cannot thank AYP enough for making us a part of their professional learning process!

For those not familiar with their excellent work, AYP is a free life-skills program for children aged 6-12 and their families in northeast Edmonton. Their small but mighty team works both in schools and their community space to achieve their mission of encouraging the development of effective living skills, the pursuit of healthy lifestyle choices, and the connection of families to the community. 

From our first contact with AYP, we knew they were serious about professional learning. After reviewing the list of training Imagine offers on our website, they selected what they thought would currently most benefit their team and emailed that to us along with a description of their work. They had a plan in mind and, we were excited to be a part of it. Just like that, a relationship was born. 

The first step in the creation of any Imagine training series experience is to have a conversation. In this initial meeting, we work with organizations to create a professional learning plan that meets their team’s unique strengths and needs. Together with AYP, we decided their series would include the following trainings:

Learning Through Play
Understanding Temperament
Engaging with Challenging Behaviours
Guiding Behaviours Through a Trauma-Informed Lens
Pedagogical Practice
Engaging in Challenging Conversations

Two members of their leadership team would also attend the two-day pilot of Leadership from a Trauma-Informed Lens.

In AYP’s series, trainings generally occurred one week apart, with some longer gaps of two or three weeks. Single trainings offer many benefits, of course, but the real magic of professional learning occurs in the training series experience. Learning together over a series of weeks or months provides participants time to digest training content and incorporate it into their daily practice. Participants can return to the next training with questions for the group to discuss and learning is translated from a basic level of knowledge into the deeper practices of skill and attitude.

We are always excited to facilitate a training series with an organization because of the unique learning environment it creates. When teams learn all together, they create a common language and can relate the training concepts directly to their work. This was true for AYP as well, but after the first training, it was apparent that their team took professional learning more seriously than most. In their initial email to Imagine they stated, “we are constantly looking to receive the necessary training required to positively support children's development”. Clearly, these weren’t only nice words, they really meant it. AYP wasn’t attending professional learning because it was a box they had to check in their yearly plan, they truly wanted to learn together as a team in order to have an even bigger positive impact on children and families. This team was ready to learn! 

This authenticity really showed up in the AYP team’s ability to participate in the reflective space that is so crucial to Imagine trainings. They were full participants in all discussions and activities, really taking the training content to heart and sharing what it meant through their own lens. This didn’t always look the same. Sometimes it meant being vulnerable and sharing difficulties or personal experiences. Other times it meant opting not to participate in a discussion or activity by sharing but instead by listening intently and encouraging others as they shared. No matter what was happening, everyone was fully invested in the learning process at whatever level was best for them in that moment. And that was what created the magic of this experience. Because their whole team was involved, AYP was able to grow together. The primary goal of training centers around the training topic, but the benefits don’t end there. Teams who invest in their professional learning also give themselves the gift of time spent together, something that is precious in our busy world. We not only learned with AYP – we shared stories, we were silly, and, most importantly, we had fun. And no one can argue against the fact that fun and play make learning even more effective.

We have learned so much from our time with AYP – the power of showing up authentically as facilitators, the value of a good question and a safe space in which to answer it, and the importance of laughing together while learning together. Thank you to the AYP team for taking this journey with us and for all the work they do every day. We look forward to continuing our relationship with them and applying what we’ve learned in future training series. 

To learn more about Abbottsfield Youth Project visit:   https://ayp.ca   

To talk to us about creating your own training series experience with Imagine email us at  info@imagineinstitute.ca  or call us at 780 428 9465 

Thu, 20 Oct 2022 20:02:50 GMT

Introducing Microsessions!

If you work with, or live with, children, time is precious, and you probably have questions about how to best support children through their development. That’s why we’ve created microsessions.

What are microsessions?

Microsessions are one-hour, virtual opportunities to learn about learning and care topics and connect with other people interested in the same ideas. Each month we’ll explore different topics – choosing children’s literature that represents our communities, the role of play in grief, anti-bullying practices, and so much more. We’ll start with a 10-20 minute introduction to the topic, then break into discussion groups to delve deeper and apply the information to our day-to-day realities. Finally, we’ll pose further questions that can shape future microsessions.

Who are microsessions for?

Microsessions are for you! Amazing educators and caregivers who are always looking for information and strategies to improve your relationships with children. Maybe you want a snippet of information to help keep your practice fresh. Maybe you want to connect with other educators and caregivers to brainstorm ideas and learn what they are doing. Maybe you want an hour with other adults to shift your brain out of your usual routine of educating and caregiving. Whatever your reason, this is for you. Come join us.

How can I join an Imagine microsession?

Simply register through our website! https://www.imagineinstitute.ca/bookings . Topics for the remainder of 2022 are currently open for registration and we’ll begin posting 2023 dates soon.

If you have suggestions for future microsession topics, or simply want to learn more, email us at info@imagineinstitute.ca

Blog submission by Angela Hill, Senior Facilitator with Imagine

I am a Reflective Practitioner

Thu, 16 Jun 2022 00:16:22 GMT

Heather Boonstra has recently joined the Imagine Team as our Reflective Practitioner. You may be wondering what exactly a Reflective Practitioner is and to be honest, our team is continually learning as we move forward. This is a truly unique position, and to our knowledge, we are the first non-profit in our sector who has fully integrated this role into our organization.

To better explain just what a Reflective Practitioner does, check out this interview with Heather.

Why is reflective practice so valuable for individuals and organizations?

I just want to start off by saying that I think many people are already engaging in reflective practice, they just may not call it that. I remember the first time I heard about reflective practice training and asked my supervisor if I could attend. She told me that I didn’t need to go because I was already doing it – but what exactly was I doing? I didn’t know!

It turns out that what I was doing without realizing that it was good practice, was asking questions of myself, my coworkers and of the families we were supporting; questions that asked us to dig a little deeper into the impact that our words, actions, behaviours and decisions were having on ourselves and those around us. Conversations like this can only take place in an environment of trust because they require a certain level of vulnerability. I believe that intentional, mindful and consistent reflective practice is critical for individuals and organizations who are not merely curious about consequences and impact, but who are committed to adapting what they say and do based on what they learn.

What is a Reflective Practitioner? What do you do on a day-to-day basis?

As a Reflective Practitioner, I get to bring intentionality and consistency to the questions Imagine asks of themselves and their stakeholders (for example, their participants, funders, community members). I have the honour of watching and listening to this incredibly skilled and passionate team as they create, deliver, reflect, iterate, and then do it all over again based on what they learn. I support Imagine in their collecting and reporting of meaningful, purposeful, culturally responsive data, while at the same time, reminding them that their work also has an impact on their own hearts and minds that they need to pay attention to.

Day to day, you can find me working on data collection spreadsheets, developing evaluation questions and frameworks, reading articles on promising evaluation practices and methods, having conversations with Imagine team members (my favourite thing about my job!) and asking reflective questions of myself to help me see what we might be missing, and what else might be important for Imagine to understand.

Where did the idea for this position come from? What is the overall vision for the position?

The Reflective Practitioner role was born out of Line (Imagine’s Executive Director) and her team placing a high value on evaluation being a naturally occurring part of what they do every day, rather than it being a cumbersome task that they must do.

At an Imagine team meeting one day, I expressed that I was having some discomfort with being referred to as “the evaluator” because for this specific work I was doing, it just didn’t sit right with me. I was concerned that people might feel like I was doing something to them, rather than with them, which is the opposite of Imagine’s practice. After some discussion (a very “reflective practice-y” discussion I might add), Line exclaimed, “I think you are our Reflective Practitioner!” This position is brand new, and we are figuring it out as we test it, talk about it, change it and test it again, which makes it beautifully aligned with Imagine’s iterative process philosophy and values of integrity and responsiveness…and that is the overall vision. Robust, trauma-informed, culturally responsive evaluation and reporting, within a culture of reflective inquiry and continuous improvement.

What experiences and wisdom do you bring to this role?

Ok – I cannot answer this question without first expressing my heartfelt gratitude. I have been so very fortunate over the years to have been surrounded by the cream of the crop work families, colleagues and community champions! They have had my back, supported and encouraged my dreaming, put up with my mess-ups (there have been many), and have “challenged the process” (Kouzes & Pozner) when I needed to be reeled in from the clouds and needed reminders to slow down. I have had 30+ years' worth of individuals, families, children, youth and seniors allowing me to share in their lives and become a small part of their stories. So many of them occupy my thoughts even today because the lessons they taught me are what have equipped me to do what I do now.

If I think specifically about my evaluation experiences, a pivotal point for me was when I attended a workshop almost 25 years ago. The presenter, who I am fortunate enough to be able to now call a friend, taught me that evaluation is a form of storytelling. That was a huge shift in my thinking, and one that I needed, as my experience with evaluation to that point had been that evaluation was only about outputs and that there was no room for stories of impact. I thought that that was just the way evaluation was and that I would never enjoy it, because it only told part of the story. I am so glad I was wrong!

How do you think other organizations could incorporate aspects of this position into the work they do?

I think that the first and most important step to incorporating aspects of this position into an organization’s practice would be to slow right down. This requires consistent intentionality. You will never be able to check this off of your To Do List and call it complete. To slow down and pause, is to be able to notice. To consider. To reflect. To ask questions and look at things from different perspectives. It will always be important to incorporate slowing down into your organization’s culture and to be able to give gentle reminders to one another when the busy-ness of your lives puts you on the hamster wheel!

That, coupled with participating in reflective practice and evaluation learning opportunities, and you are well on your way!

Please feel welcome to connect with me any time at heather@imagineinstitute.c a with your thoughts or questions!

Seven Generations - Indigenous Youth Peer Support Project

Thu, 26 May 2022 00:29:09 GMT

Seven Generations - Indigenous Youth Peer Support Project

We are excited to announce that Imagine Institute was the recipient of a grant from the Government of Alberta’s Civil Societies Fund. We have received this grant in order to develop and implement, with the collaboration of community, the Seven Generations Indigenous Youth Peer Support Project.

The Seven Generations Indigenous Youth Project aims to empower Indigenous youth by co-creating an Indigenous led program that provides the skills necessary for youths to tap into their cultural wisdom and provide peer support in their community. Funded by the Government of Alberta’s Civil Societies Fund, this project was inspired by conversations with Elders, Knowledge Keepers, and community members that Imagine Institute interviewed for the Intergenerational Wisdom training. Many spoke about the challenges that Indigenous youths are encountering, including loss, trauma, and the impact of colonization. As supported by research, these obstacles create many risks for Indigenous youths, including mental health challenges, which have been amplified by the current pandemic. Elders and Knowledge Keepers also spoke about the cultural discontinuity and disconnect happening within communities, which creates barriers for Indigenous youths to find healing.

Wellness, from the Indigenous worldview, does not limit itself to the physical or cognitive aspects of our beings, but also recognizes the spiritual and emotional dimensions. Due to colonization and intergenerational trauma, many Indigenous youths experience a spiritual and emotional wounding that is not recognized in western society. Conversations with Indigenous community members across Alberta expressed the need to help youths address the four aspects of their wellbeing.

However, Indigenous youths and community members already carry within themselves the strengths and capabilities to ensure the wellbeing of the whole. The last seven generations suffered greatly due to colonialism and assimilation policies. Despite these challenges, they survived and have been able to pass on resilience and wisdom that youths today can tap into to continue the journey towards healing. It is the hope that by reconnecting the youths to their intergenerational wisdom and by finding support in one another, youths can walk together on a good path and be the change for the next seven generations.

What are some important dates coming up?

The Seven Generations team hopes to have found two partner Indigenous communities who are interested in co-developing this project by the beginning of this summer. However, the Seven Generations team acknowledges the importance of holding a space for relationship building and understands that nothing else can happen without first laying a foundation of trust with communities.

One of the outcomes of this project will be a Peer Support Train the Trainer Toolkit. What might this look like for a community?

It is important to note that the Seven Generations Peer Support Toolkit will be experiential as opposed to material. The activities and experiences will be gathered and compiled in whichever format the youths and communities would prefer. This might take the form of videos, stories, art or other. This gathering of information will be gifted back to the partner communities and will also be available to other communities who are interested in implementing a similar project in their own communities.

If your community would be interested in being one of the partner communities or if you would like more information about the Seven Generations project, please contact Imagine Institute at info@imagineinstitute.ca

Edgewalker Conversations

Thu, 24 Mar 2022 21:28:21 GMT

Edgewalker Conversations: The Next Step After Intergenerational Wisdom

Intergenerational Wisdom continues to be one of Imagine’s most popular and most perspective-changing sessions. As the next step, Curriculum Developer Angélica Boucher started Edgewalker Conversations to keep the learning going. In this interview, Angélica explains the inspiration for these new one-hour sessions, why everyone is welcome, and why Edgewalkers are so necessary in our world right now.

What is your goal with Edgewalkers?

In Intergenerational Wisdom, we talk about how there was this wall that has been created between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples. To move towards true reconciliation, it is time that we break that wall and reuse the bricks to create a bridge of understanding. Part of this includes continuing that community of support and sharing that started in the Intergenerational Wisdom training.

Many participants have asked to remain connected to the other participants from the training. Therefore, Edgewalker Conversations provides the opportunity to continue learning from one another and to stay connected.

What does it mean to be an Edgewalker?

Edgewalkers are people who walk the line between two worldviews and try to bring understanding between the two (Neal, 2011). Being an Edgewalker is not easy, as it requires us to speak up about truths, such as the ongoing impact of colonialism. Many of these truths are often taboo or controversial topics to discuss in society. However, this work is much needed for the wellbeing of every nation on Turtle Island (Canada). Every person on Turtle Island has the potential to become Edgewalkers, and it starts with education and building relationships to support each other in our learning journeys.

Who can attend?

Any participant from the Intergenerational Wisdom training is invited to attend and participate in these conversations, no matter their background. In order for Canada to move towards reconciliation and healing, we need all nations from Turtle Island (Canada) to come together and work towards a better tomorrow for our future generations. The space created in these conversations are meant to provide a platform for Indigenous voices to be heard and for participants to learn how to become strong allies.

What does an hour session look like?

Given that this session is meant to continue a space of learning, sharing, and support, the conversation topics are flexible and are mostly led by the participants themselves.

At times, to get the conversation started or to keep the conversation on track, some guided questions are provided. However, the goal with this hour session is to provide a space for Edgewalkers to ask questions, to share thoughts or to share challenges they might be encountering within their communities when speaking about the truth.

How do you ensure authenticity and cultural knowledge is at the heart of your sessions?

To ensure we enter the space in a respectful and authentic way, conversations typically start with prayer and with a land acknowledgement. Rick, a Knowledge Keeper from Saddle Lake First Nation, is a strong believer in the power of education and is often present to provide guidance and perspective to these conversations. I also send videos and reflective questions prior to the meeting, to ensure participants join these conversations with a mindset of respect and openness and with a heart filled with a desire for positive change.

21 Highlights of 2021

Mon, 03 Jan 2022 17:40:12 GMT

A Year in Review for Imagine Institute

Imagine’s 21 Highlights of 2021

2021 is done and gone, and while it brought its fair share of challenges to our organization, our team weathered the storm together, sought out the silver linings, and is now shining stronger than ever. 

21 Highlights from 2021:

We were able to grow our team and bring on new staff with experience in a variety of areas.
Our team was lucky enough to see each other in person a few times, which provided amazing opportunities for innovation and teambuilding. Virtual meetings are great, but in-person collaboration just has a certain magic to it!
Our website was beautifully updated, and we dedicated more time to connecting through social media.
We are working to decolonize our practice. We all took the Indigenous Canada University of Alberta course and continue to engage in opportunities for learning and dialogue about anti-oppression.
We are collaborating with Indigenous Elders and Knowledge Keepers, and community members to ensure our trainings are culturally sensitive and include Indigenous ways of knowing when possible.
We renewed a number of important sponsorships so that we can continue offering our foundational sessions at low to no cost for participants.
We strengthened partnerships with several community-based non-profit organizations around the province.
We created several new trainings to meet community needs including Workplace Wellness, and Intergenerational Wisdom.
We adapted a few of our popular sessions like Loss and Grief to better respond to current mid-pandemic realities.
We are reconnecting with Early Childhood Educators and organizations, as well as schools and teachers. Look for us at Teachers Conventions this March!
We have reconnected with Strong Minds Strong Kids and will now be offering the popular ‘Kids Have Stress Too’ sessions again in 2022.
We continue to receive amazing feedback from our participants through surveys, emails, social media, and Google reviews.
Thanks to technology and virtual training, we now connect with individuals from all over Alberta and the rest of Canada with ease.
We have even had a few international participants join our sessions!
And the numbers speak for themselves:
300+ people trained in Trauma-Informed Care
400+ people trained in QPR: Suicide Prevention
250 teachers trained in our one-day Trauma-Informed Classroom
180+ community members in Red Deer and Area trained in Trauma-Informed Care
12 EMS Peer Support from Red Deer Integrated Response Team trained in Trauma-Informed Care.
47 people have become members of our Community of Practice through our Train the Facilitator sessions
390 more people have been trained in their communities in Sciences of Hope and Trauma-Informed Approach by these Community of Practice Facilitators

We thank everyone who has supported us this year! Cheers to 2022.

The Creation of Imagine's Newest Training, "Intergenerational Wisdom" - an interview with Angélica Boucher

Thu, 18 Nov 2021 18:38:00 GMT

(photo above - Angélica and her family at a pow-wow)

To celebrate the release of our newest training, Intergenerational Wisdom, Angélica Boucher explains the research, connection, and understanding that went into developing a project of this significance.

So Angélica, what is Intergenerational Wisdom?

Intergenerational Wisdom can be described as the sharing and transmission of knowledge, beliefs, and experiences from one generation to the next. Part of this includes intergenerational trauma where trauma and pain are transmitted through generations. However, there is more to intergenerational wisdom than passing on the hurt; it also includes the transmission of hope, strength, and resilience, which helps break the cycle of trauma. So, by thinking of this as intergenerational wisdom instead of simply intergenerational trauma, it provides a lens where healing is possible despite the hurt that occurred. It allows for hope and strength to transpire.

Can you tell us about your process for creating this training?

This training was built with the belief that there is resilience in education. Through the sharing of knowledge, it is possible to learn, grow, and find the capacity to create stronger relationships and a healthier future for everyone residing on the lands we share. 

To create this training in a respectful and authentic way, it was important for me to include the voices of Elders, Knowledge Keepers, and Indigenous community members on topics related to intergenerational wisdom. I spent a lot of time reaching out to community members, building relationships, and interviewing these amazing individuals to be able to incorporate their perspective and wisdom into the training. These interviews were recorded, and I then spent hours creating short videos to add throughout the training, so that their perspectives can be shared in their own voices. I am eternally grateful for the stories and wisdom that was shared through these conversations, and the amount of trust and bravery it took for these generous individuals to share their stories for this training.

Creating this training also took a lot of research, compiling information on various topics, including the mental health and physiological impacts of intergenerational trauma and historical trauma, the modes of transmission (genetic, family dynamics, learning and modelling, sociocultural), resilience, and cultural pride. I also read the literature that focused more on how mental health is culturally seen by Indigenous peoples so that I could use a language that is representative of Indigenous world views.

I have also compiled documents, documentaries, and research on the events that led to the traumatization of Indigenous communities, which were difficult to read, but was a necessary part of the work.

How did you connect with the content that you wanted to share ?

Through my family, especially my little brother and my great-grand-parents. I believe that my great-grandparents sent me this job to do, in their memory, as my great-grandpa Eugène Joseph Bédard was part First Native but could not allow that part of himself to exist.

For me, doing this training was a way to learn and to connect with him. As people will find out by attending my training, my family was impacted in some ways by intergenerational trauma, especially my little brother. I would say that out of all of us, he is the one that has been wounded by it the most. Yet, despite all the awful things that happened to him in his little life, and despite how many things he struggles with every day, he remains hopeful. He continues to strive to get up and do better the next day. He is my inspiration for the main message of this training, that through all the pain that occurred, there is hope and resilience and that those elements can be shared.

As you were working on this training, what inspired you?

There were parts of this training that were extremely difficult to create. There were times where tears were shed and other times where my frustration was overwhelming. This is because to understand the current impact of intergenerational trauma on Indigenous peoples, I had to research where the trauma started, and I had to read about the monster that is colonialism. It could get really heavy, especially when thinking of my great-grandfather and the people I’ve built relationships with.

What helped me keep going are the conversations I had with community members. They’ve all experienced the impact of historical trauma firsthand and yet, they were all able to identify hope and sources of resilience. It shows the strength. So, while creating this training, I thought of them, and how I want to be able to facilitate this understanding from the rest of Canada or Turtle Island. I hope that I’ve been able to accomplish that and can make them proud.

What is something that you learned while researching this training that surprised you?

I think that overall, reading the literature has given me a greater appreciation for the important role that communication plays in our lives. As I will explain in greater detail in the training, communication styles between family members can have a huge impact on whether trauma is transmitted or whether sources of resilience can stem from it. Communication styles can change a child’s worldview to a negative and fearful one and can impact behaviour. On the other hand, the lessons found through storytelling, the reconnection to culture and languages (and thus community), and optimism in communication can help people stand up against the trauma.

What is your favourite thing about this Intergenerational Wisdom training?

My favourite part of this training is the authenticity and that I was able to be creative with it. There is a universality to it, as the science behind intergenerational wisdom and trauma is applicable to any family or group that has experienced a deep wounding. Yet, I love that I was able to weave my family’s story and the story of others throughout this training. My hope is that it will be humanizing experience and that people will be able to connect with the stories shared on a human level.

Who do you think would best benefit from taking this training?

Anyone, as long as they are coming to the training with an open heart. Truly, this information can help us all as a society to treat one another with more kindness and generosity. It provides a new understanding on the world surrounding us, that the people we see who are wounded or struggling may not only be dealing with their own trauma, but one that may have started generations ago.

I think the training will also increase people’s sensitivity to the struggles created by colonialism and therefore encourage non-Indigenous folks to become true allies. I hope that it also changes the stereotypical view of Indigenous peoples as a “broken” people through an understanding that centres strength and resilience.

On a personal level, I think this training can also give hope to some people that might feel stuck within the intergenerational trauma of their own families. By being better educated on these subjects, it allows us to have a greater understanding of ourselves and others and from there, a route to move forward.

___________________________________________________________________________________

Thanks to Angélica for sharing her process and findings. It is truly special to have a peek behind the curtain at all the work and research that goes into developing a multi-day training.

This session builds off our popular and foundational Trauma-Informed Care and takes on an Indigenous perspective. It includes a combination of science and narratives, allowing for an informative and humanizing experience.

We hope you can join us for a two-day Intergenerational Wisdom training in the new year. The first scheduled session runs January 21 and 22, 2022.

(interview by Brianne Burritt)

The Heart-Wrenching Truth about Residential Schools

Wed, 29 Sep 2021 20:34:37 GMT

The Heart-Wrenching Truth about Residential Schools

The Heart-Wrenching Truth About Residential Schools

By: Angélica Boucher

(Photo from National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation)

Content Warning: This blog contains information that might be upsetting for some readers. The topic of residential schools is discussed in detail alongside personal accounts.

To begin, I would like to acknowledge that I am not a residential school survivor and thankfully, none of my Indigenous ancestors were forced to attend residential schools. Therefore, it is not my place to recount the nightmarish experiences that children underwent while at residential school. What I may share though, are the facts and the words of those who are survivors.

· More than 150 000 First Nations, Inuit and Métis children were forced to attend
· 150 residential schools throughout Canada
· 25 residential schools in Alberta
· More than 150 years of operation
· 80 000 residential school survivors alive today
· More than 6000 children died in residential schools

For the majority of Canadians, these facts have been hard to acknowledge. That is, until the bodies of 215 children were uncovered on the grounds of former Kamloops Indian Residential School. Indigenous peoples already knew or had strong suspicions that the bodies of their fellow classmates, siblings, friends, and children were there. As Elder Ekti Margaret Cardinal stated during one of our conversations, “we have been telling people [about the abuse] for years, but they didn’t listen.”

Despite the many accounts of survivors sharing similar experiences of atrocities committed in residential school, Canada needed the bones of children to start the acknowledgment process. Even then, Richard (Steinhauer) Swaren, a Knowledge Keeper from Saddle Lake First Nation, explains that, “when the first 215 children were discovered, it made media all over the world. We are at 7000 plus now and it is already old news.”

Ekti invites us to reflect on “how wrong is it that it was kept silent?” We need to break the nation-wide silence that has persisted.

What was the purpose of residential schools?

As a child, Elder and tipi maker Ekti Margaret Cardinal was forced to attend Blue Quills Indian Residential School for ten years. When asked about her experience in boarding school, Ekti commented that “all the focus was to get rid of the Indian in you.”

The purpose was to assimilate and legally extinguish Indigenous peoples. Although residential schools started as early as 1831, government funded industrial schools (or residential schools) started later in the 1880s. The last federally funded residential school closed in 1996. An important influence on the funding of residential schools was a report written by Nicholas Flood Davin in 1879, who’s report was commissioned by Prime Minister Sir John A. Macdonald. Based on the United States industrial school model, Davin expressed the need for such school in order to “civilize” Indigenous peoples. Of note, in the Davin report, it is written that “the aim of education must be to destroy the Indian.” The intent cannot be clearer than that statement. To read the Davin Report, see the reference list below.

From day one, abuse was present, as children were ripped from their home, their families, their culture, and their language, often without warning. Immediately, children were experiencing emotional neglect, and often, would be victim to various other forms of abuse (i.e., verbal, sexual, physical). Residential schools were generally in poor conditions, as they were underfunded, overcrowded, and staffed with underqualified educators. And be assured, the government knew about these awful conditions due to written reports, such as the ones written by Dr. Peter Bryce in 1909 and 1927. However, the government deliberately chose to ignore them.

As for the quality of education, Ekti explained that before the 1950s, which was when her mother had attended boarding school, children would get at most three hours of education in a day. The rest of the day was spent doing work and chores. Therefore, the purpose was not to provide Indigenous children with an adequate and/or similar education to that of other children in Canada. Clearly, residential schools had more resemblance to workhouses or assimilation camps than schools.

If you would like to learn more about Ekti’s boarding school experience, click here [BB2] to read her interview with the Native Women’s Association of Canada Magazine KCI-NWESQ.

Did the loss end there?

Over the past few months, I have had the chance to converse with many Indigenous community members throughout Alberta. A common theme that tends to surface in our discussions is this sense of fear. Understandably so, as the loss and abuse of Indigenous children did not end or begin with the residential schools. As Richard expressed, “[Colonialism] accomplished its goal through Indian Residential School, through Indian Day School, and continues to do so through all its other systems, including Child and Family Services, the prison system, the legal system, and the medical system.”

Darren Weaselchild, a Knowledge Keeper from Siksika First Nation describes Child and Family Services as the new Indian Residential School System. He explains that when children are taken from Indigenous families, they are typically put into non-Indigenous homes where they must conform to mainstream society and do not get the opportunity to know their roots. Darren adds a heartfelt message: “we would like our children to be raised with their culture, raised with their braids, and raised with their elders.”

“As a people, we are like the buffalo”

The National Truth and Reconciliation Day is a time to commemorate the children that survived the Indian Residential School System and those who did not.

As Ekti says, “we need to think of all the people that died;” we must remember them. However, I would argue that it is equally as important to reflect on the pure strength that Indigenous peoples had to demonstrate in order to withstand the continuous effort to eradicate them.

During our conversation, Ekti recounted that “in boarding school, what really supported me, was prayer. You had to believe that things are going to happen, that you are going to survive. I had to believe that I was going to survive this and not let go.” As a form of punishment for “doing something Indigenous,” Ekti was forced to stand in front of a pillar wall for up to three hours. She explained that in those moments, in her mind, she would travel back to her grandparents, to her parents, or to a nice summer fishing. Ekti explained that “if you only think of negative things, then they have control of you.” She did not let that happen, she thought of happy moments, and that helped her survive. Stories of strength, such as Ekti’s, also need to be remembered and honoured, as it is that strength and bravery that allowed Indigenous peoples to exist today.

I would like to end this blog on a beautiful teaching that was generously shared with me by Darren Weaselchild. “There’s a story of the buffalo herd. The buffalo herd will not sit and wait when there’s a storm. Instead, they would go and push through it until they got to the other side. As a people, we are like the buffalo.”

We thank the Elders who have shared their knowledge and experiences with us for this interview.

References and Resources :

Indian Residential School History and Dialogue Centre. (n.d.). Davin Report. The University of British Columbia. https://collections.irshdc.ubc.ca/index.php/Detail/objects/9427

Indian Residential School History and Dialogue Centre. (n.d.). Indian Residential School. The University of British Columbia. https://irshdc.ubc.ca/learn/indian-residential-schools/

Indian Residential School History and Dialogue Centre. (n.d.). The story of a national crime: being an appeal for justice to the Indians of Canada. The University of British Columbia. https://collections.irshdc.ubc.ca/index.php/Detail/objects/9434

KCI-NIWESQ. (2021, August). Three Residential School Survivors and the Brutality that Shaped their Lives. Native Women’s Association of Canada Magazine, 1(5), 9-13. https://issuu.com/kci-niwesq/docs/kci-niwesq-issue_5-august_2021/2

Marshall, T., & Gallant, D. (2012, October 10). Residential Schools in Canada. The Canadian Encyclopedia. https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/residential-schools

Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada. (2015). Honouring the Truth, Reconciling for the Future: Summary of the Final Report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada. https://ehprnh2mwo3.exactdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Executive_Summary_English_Web.pdf

The Significance of September 30

Mon, 27 Sep 2021 19:47:04 GMT

The Significance of September 30th

By: Angélica Boucher

As accurately said by Darren Weaselchild, “with Truth and Reconciliation, it is hard to focus on one issue.” The depth of what happened to Indigenous peoples is just starting to be heard, with residential schools receiving a large part of the attention. On June 3, 2021, the Government of Canada announced that September 30 would officially be considered the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. But what does this mean? I spoke with three Indigenous leaders from Alberta who shared their thoughts and wisdom on what the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation signifies.

Significance from Indigenous Leaders

Darren Weaselchild

Knowledge Keeper from Siksika First Nation

Second-generation residential school survivor

For Darren Weaselchild, the Day for Truth and Reconciliation is meaningful because “we live in a fast-paced society or an information overload era. People cannot take the time to process information. So, taking the day to acknowledge and process issues that Indigenous people are going through is good in that sense.”

Darren stated that currently, Indigenous peoples are still facing a multitude of issues as a result of the colonial system that was made to assimilate them. These issues include murdered and missing Indigenous women and girls, substance abuse issues, and the clean drinking water issue. Many reserves do not have access to clean drinking water in Alberta, even if it is a basic human right. In addition, there is “less tuition funding for on reserve students than off reserve” and “on reserve schools have less to offer the students.”

However, Darren shared that being seen as a human being remains a struggle for Indigenous peoples. Canada needs to start “understanding that we are people, not savages, not animals.” Darren warns us that “Truth and Reconciliation is a good start but we need to take a long hard look on how things are today.” To this day, Darren expressed that he is a victim of racism and is often asked ignorant questions, such as ‘where are your braids?’

“Truth and Reconciliation needs to be all year, not just one day and then back to being racist through words and actions,” he stated. In other words, it is time for Canada to acknowledge what was done to Indigenous peoples and to value them as human beings. “Non-Indigenous people need to listen with an honest heart” because “history has not been honest and truthful” about what Darren refers to as the “Indian Holocaust.”

Richard (Steinhauer) Swaren

Knowledge Keeper from Saddle Lake First Nation

Third-generation residential school survivor

“The significance of it is that we are barely just going through the Truth part. Reconciliation cannot happen until we are actually being heard,” explained Richard Swaren. He went on to explain that Indigenous peoples still get comments such as, “why can’t they just get over it?” In response, Richard asked, “How do you get over genocide when it’s still happening?” Similar to Darren, Richard listed all the current issues that are impacting his people, including the overrepresentation of Indigenous people in our incarceration system and the removal of children from mothers in hospitals.

To Richard, the importance of the Day for Truth and Reconciliation is getting people to hear the truth because “[genocide] is happening and it will continue to happen until the truth is heard.” Thus, Rick expressed that Canadians need to learn about the true strategy and history behind the Canadian government’s attempts to assimilate Indigenous, Inuit, and Metis. With intensity, Richard added, “I just want to put up a sign up that says, ‘No our people will not forget genocide’ […] but I’d probably end up with slashed tires and probably get punched out a few times because it’s the truth and… it’s too much for them [Canada] to cope with.” Richard acknowledged that this learning will be a process, but it is a process that must be done simultaneously. Indigenous peoples have their traditional ways of healing just like settler peoples have theirs.

As beautifully said by Rick, “This is a journey that we all need to walk (each using their own culturally appropriate methodologies). As was the agreement represented by the wampum belt (initial Treaty signing between two sovereign nations). Indigenous and Western society agreed to walk side by side, respecting each other's path. We all have red [coloured] blood; there’s no two-ways about it. We’re all human beings.”

Ekti Margaret Cardinal

Elder and tipi maker from Saddle Lake First Nation

Residential school survivor

When thinking about the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, Ekti Margaret Cardinal talked about the process of healing and learning. She explained that the day is important to “acknowledge that it happened instead of being in denial.” By “it,” she refers to colonialism and all its systems, such as residential schools, that caused wounds and trauma to Indigenous peoples.

This denial does not only come from non-Indigenous peoples, but also from some Indigenous families. A lot of families denied that they were Indigenous because they wanted to protect themselves from colonialism, discrimination, and racism. Ekti added that “even today some people don’t want to admit they went through traumatic stuff.”

When Ekti explained this to me, it made me reflect on my family and on my own great-grandfather who chose not to pass down his Algonquian culture. He did so to protect his children and grandchildren (my mother) from being labelled “a savage.” Additionally, some parents who went to residential schools chose not to tell their children about the trauma they endured.

Referring to this silence, Ekti elaborated that it was a way to protect the children. “I know some people who are angry that their parents didn’t tell them. But they should be grateful. Parents had to do what they had to do to protect their children.”

On the other hand, Ekti spoke about how wrong it is that the government kept the truth about residential schools silent. She said that it is important that we learn from those awful times. And this learning can only begin with acknowledgement. Ekti stated that right now “Canada is stuck between shock and acceptance,” but that it is a relief that people are starting to listen.

Now, “they [settlers] need to process,” just like Indigenous peoples are still processing what happened to them. Therefore, the Day for Truth and Reconciliation is the beginning of a much-needed process of acknowledgment and learning in order to move forward towards healing.

How should the day be treated?

The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is not a celebration; it is a day of remembrance, of respect, and of honouring the children that died due to the genocide and residential schools.

Ekti Margaret Cardinal explained that it should be treated in a similar fashion to Remembrance Day. Richard Swaren agreed with comparing September 30th to Remembrance Day because “remembering the past and by acknowledging our past, it keeps it alive. Remembrance Day is a day about sharing the sacrifices that our men and women made. And by sharing those stories, it keeps and respects and shows our love for those people that made sacrifices.”

However, he furthered that it is also “a time of awakening. A time of bringing forth our allies. We need them at our side to move forward because they have the access, they have the influence, they have the power to help this message, this truth to be brought forward.”

During my conversations, I also spoke about the possibility that the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation may bring up negative feelings for Indigenous peoples. Darren Weaselchild explained that truth and reconciliation can be hard for Indigenous people because “we had to jump through all the hoops of western society to learn to live exactly like them and even then, we are still not accepted by them.”

Discrimination and assimilation are still happening in our society. Therefore, it is important to remember to act with what our Executive Director at Imagine, Line Perron, calls the ‘KEG Approach.’ In other words, we must remember to act with Kindness, Empathy, and Generosity on this day that is difficult for all the nations of Canada.

The way forward

For Canada, we are still at a time of acknowledgement, of recognizing the truth, and of taking accountability for what was done to Indigenous peoples. This time of acknowledgement and honest listening must be done before we can move towards reconciliation. Without truly listening, we cannot understand one another and without true understanding, we cannot heal together. As Ekti shared, “it’s a matter of process.”

We thank the Elders who have shared their knowledge and experiences with us for this interview.

References

Clean drinking water issue - https://ucalgary.ca/news/tip-iceberg-true-state-drinking-water-advisories-first-nations

National Day for Truth and Reconciliation - https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/campaigns/national-day-truth-reconciliation.html

Orange Shirt Day - https://www.orangeshirtday.org/

What is Relationship-Based Practice?

Tue, 21 Sep 2021 14:12:24 GMT

Just What is Relationship-Based Practice?

Just What Is Relationship-Based Practice?

By: Launa Clark – Mental Health Facilitator

"Everyone wants to live on top of the mountain, but all the happiness and growth occurs while you’re climbing it” - Andy Rooney

You are the tool of your trade!

For over 20 years Imagine Institute For Learning has been a leader in training human service professionals to hone the interpersonal skills that are in-demand in human service-based work. In our Relationship-Based Practice Training, we focus on “YOU” and the activating competencies that support sustainable change for clients as well as provide self-sustainability for the professional.

Using the foundational science of neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) and a trauma-informed approach, this training provides participants with evidence-based information as well as practical tools that can be used the next day with clients. One of the mindset activities that resonates with past participants is our T-shirt Activity. This activity helps provide context for the bases of building strength-based relationships. It concludes by identifying that everyone has a past (back of the t-shirt) and a future (front of the t-shirt), and sometimes we need understanding, empathy, and a language to communicate what is needed to move forward within healthy relationships.

Comments from past Relationship-Based Practice Level 1 participants:

It will help in my engagement with my own team and my FRN team as we have some common knowledge. In Supervision this will give some tools to build on. Personally, has strengthened my link to the values of who I am both personally and in work. (2020)

I feel more confident, I realize I have a great outlook on life, and I know where I want to go professionally. (2020)

I have more words to use for tough conversations. I have a better understanding of the goal setting process. (2020)

It taught me how to connect with participants where maybe viewed as "reluctant' and instead consider them as 'complex families'. (2020)

Sign me up!

Look on our website for the next available training for Relationship-Based Practice Level 1 and a soon to be available Relationship-Based Practice Level 2. This training is also available for exclusive booking to meet the needs of your organization. For more information, please contact us as info@imagineinstitute.ca or visit www.imagineinstitute.ca

Talk with a Traumatologist

Sat, 04 Sep 2021 18:48:15 GMT

Talk with a Traumatologist

What Can Change When We Become Trauma-Informed?

An interview with Line Marie Perron, Executive Director of Imagine Institute For Learning

You’ve heard of a psychologist, a biologist, and now, thanks to COVID, an epidemiologist, but what about a traumatologist.

Trauma is defined as the lasting psychological consequences that living through a distressing event or experience can have on an individual. Traumatic events can include physical, sexual, emotional, relational, or environmental experiences which overwhelm our internal and external coping and support mechanisms (Centre for Addictions and Mental Health). An -ologist isn’t a specific job or field but a suffix, added to the end of a word to denote someone who is an expert or specialist in a particular field achieved through study and application. So, a Community and Workplace Traumatologist is “a professional who helps trauma survivors or engages in trauma-related response activities and support,” says Line Marie Perron, Founder and Executive Director of Imagine Institute For Learning.

Line is a certified Community and Workplace Traumatologist and Master Trainer. She has trained over 1200 professionals in Trauma-Informed Care and has over 30 years of teaching and facilitation experience. Translating Trauma-Informed Care Principles into Practice, Responding to Trauma in Early Childhood, and Sciences of Hope: Brain Science and Resilience are just a few of the many evidence-based learning opportunities that Line and the team of Imagineers at Imagine Institute have developed for those who want to integrate a trauma-informed lens to their current practice.

Line, what originally inspired you to become certified as a CWT?

Imagine works with a wide variety of professionals (social workers, educators, health practitioners, first responders, etc.) who report having to respond to increasingly complex individuals and environments. In the last ten years, Alberta has experienced 3 of the largest natural disasters in its history. Community-level trauma can be complex and leave lasting emotional and psychological legacies.

I am inspired by the idea that trauma-informed care is a foundational practice to create safety and put people back in the driver’s seat. Being trauma-informed is a way to activate all the knowledge and skills we have and helps us create interactions with people that are woven with kindness, empathy, and generosity. While this sounds simple, once you really engage yourself, you realize how challenging it can be. Our current systems don’t always allow for the additional time it takes to build safety and trust with individuals who have been hurt.

What most inspires me is the research demonstrating how being trauma-informed can minimize vicarious trauma and burnout for staff. Working with vulnerable and complex individuals is hard work and takes its toll on professionals across sectors. If we can load their toolbox with a few extra tools and strategies to help them navigate those challenges while maintaining their health and wellness, it’s a great return on investment. I particularly wanted Imagine to be in a position to build capacity within the sectors we work with.

What is something that most people do not know about trauma, but you wish they did?

Trauma often shows up as behaviour; behaviour that is perceived as positive and socially acceptable, but which can be damaging to the individual’s well-being. Think of the individual that is always trying to please others at their own expense, or the perfectionist that cannot find joy in the imperfect. Trauma isn’t always aggression, depression, and anxiety. It shows up in a variety of ways. Understanding the neurobiology of how trauma responses form really helps us to interact differently with people in a way that supports growth and fosters safety and trust.

What is a common misconception that people have about trauma?

A common misconception is that our trauma defines us. It can certainly transform us, dent us, build us up or wear us down. But ultimately it does not define us. We are bigger than what happens to us and inside of us. The translation of that idea into practice invites us see hope when we work with clients. We know that no matter what has happened to people, we can create environments where they feel safe and have choice and control. This is pivotal in helping professionals set healthy boundaries for both themselves and their clients, patients, or students. Many professionals think that being trauma-informed is for the people they work with, but a trauma-informed practice benefits everyone, including themselves.

Now more than ever, why is there a need for more people and organizations to be trauma-informed?

We have never experienced this collective level of uncertainty and change at such a community and global level. We are so interconnected with the rest of the world that very few of us have remained immune to the impact of COVID. As social workers, educators, health practitioners and first responders continue to hold back the dams, they themselves are inevitably losing strength and capacity. We are losing the people who have been on the front lines of this pandemic to burnout, empathy drain, and physical and emotional exhaustion. We cannot afford that.

So, our goal at Imagine is to equip both professionals and community members with more tools in their toolbox and support them in any way we can. Sometimes, just listening to their stories during training sessions validates their experiences and re-engages their passion for their work. Theirs is personal work done professionally and to support the professional, we need to support the person. We can be kind, empathetic, generous, and, for just one moment, take on their perspective. We just might learn something new.

If you are interested in learning more about trauma-informed care, visit the Training section of our website. The professional development offered by the Imagine Institute provides concrete opportunities for skill-building and reflection promoting the confident use of trauma-informed skills in the daily practice of professionals. To date, we have facilitated workshops, trainings, conferences, and Learning Immersions for tens of thousands of participants and continue to have waiting lists for many of our sessions.

Train the Facilitator

Fri, 27 Aug 2021 06:08:55 GMT

Creating a Community of Practice

Train the Facilitator: Creating a Community of Practice

With the support of Government funding, we are pleased to announce we have the ability to offer a 3-day Train the Facilitator training!

Community members, who express their interests and share their skilled experience, take a deeper dive into our Community Learning Immersions. Over the 3-day session participants gain a deeper understanding of the content, creating safe spaces through trauma-informed interactions, and develop an understanding to facilitate conversations with a relationship-based approach.

Upon completion participants become Community Facilitators who can take the 3-hour Sciences of Hope: Brain Science and Resilience and Trauma-Informed Approach sessions out to members of their community, available at no cost. Imagine Institute for Learning has invested a great amount of time in creating these two research-based sessions using language within a community context to spread the word and share the knowledge of the impact of trauma on brain development and the importance of trauma-informed interactions. Creating the ability to build awareness around mental health and compassionate interactions.

With over 16 sessions facilitated to date our community members have shared this information with over 60 participants. It has been a great success to see this come to fruition as our Community of Practice members are sharing knowledge to create Trauma-Informed communities across Alberta.

We are pleased to announce we have just completed our fourth session expanding our Community of Practice to a total of 40 members, with another training session being offered this upcoming Fall 2021 .

Offering Choices to Children

Fri, 27 Aug 2021 05:58:44 GMT

(The photograph above is courtesy of Damian Siodlak)

Those who have spent time with children know some routines and transitions can be hard to guide children through. Many children have difficulty coping with transitions and certain expectations within routines, resulting in them not doing what you expect them to. Offering choices to children is a great strategy and solution to avoid the many conflicts that can arise while guiding children’s behaviour, providing choice and control, allowing children to be part of the decision-making process, while creating boundaries to clearly state your expectations.

Set clear limits by offering choices that you are comfortable with and are willing to let the child choose their option. Before offering a choice, you want to ensure that it is something that you can follow through on. Ensure that, no matter the choice the child makes, it is something you have the ability to control so that the child can then complete the choice they made. Do not offer something that the child does not have a choice in.

For young children, always be clear and provide simple choices with 2 options at most. As the child grows and develops more language skills you may be able to offer 3 choices or more for the child to choose from. You do not want to overwhelm them, too many choices can make the decision difficult at any age.

Yes or No

Be sure when using this strategy that it is something that the child has the ability to say no to. Avoid asking questions like ‘are you ready for bed’ or ‘are you ready for school’ when it is time for those routines. More successful and appropriate questions for those routines would be ‘would you like a story before bed tonight?’ or ‘would you like to bring a book for the ride to school this morning?’

Would you like a hug?
Would you like to bring a sweater to school today?
Do you need some time alone?

Before or After

This option is very useful at supporting transitions that the child may have difficulty with or may be hesitant in completing. This strategy clearly states the non-negotiable task but gives the child some control in how or when it is completed. A few examples of this strategy are, ‘would you like to put your coat on before or after your shoes’ or ‘would you like to brush your teeth before or after your story’.

Would you like to use the washroom before or after you’re dressed?
Would you like to read your schoolbook/do homework before or after dinner?
Would you like to practice your numbers before or after snack?

A or B

This strategy is also quite helpful because it clearly states the end goal however it gives the child the control to determine how they will complete it. For example, you want your child to have a vegetable with their dinner, allow them to choose between peas or carrots.

Do you want mom or dad to help?
Would you like to wear your blue or red hat?
Would you like to pick up the books or the Lego?

Alone or With Help

I find this strategy very useful for tasks children avoid or have difficulty completing. Be prepared to help because quite often they will choose that option. I use this strategy quite often when cleaning up after play time, which also helps to model the behaviour for the child.

Do you want to put your shoes on or would like my help?
Would you like to read this book alone or with help?
Do you want to make you bed alone or with help?

Allow for opportunities of problem solving. Your child may not always make the best choice, but this is okay, and a great learning opportunity. Allow them to complete the choice they made and then ask them questions about what happened, did they make the best choice for the situation? Why or why not and ask them for solutions to solve their problem.

Allowing children to make their own choices provides an opportunity to teach children that they make choices every day, each of their behaviours or interactions are choices. Highlight and praise the choices that you see children making, for example ‘I see you chose to wear your green shirt today’ ‘I see you chose to use your words to solve your problem, great work!’ “I see you chose to ask for help, great problem solving’.

When to not offer choices…

Whenever there are big emotions involved you may want to refrain from offering any choices. At this time when the person is only operating from their downstairs brain, they do not have access to the higher-level thinking brain, causing decision making to be affected. If you truly need to offer choices at this time you will want to keep it simple, just a yes or no at this time.

How to Teach Empathy to Children

Fri, 27 Aug 2021 05:50:23 GMT

(The photograph above is courtesy of Jordan Whitt on Unsplash)

For those of us who have experiences with young children, I am sure it wouldn’t take long to recall a moment that required some guidance. It is a common occurrence for young children to just grab a toy from another when they want it to be their turn, or to use their hands when things may not go their way. These are age-appropriate reactions for young children who have not yet developed the ability to think of the other person’s feelings.

Many caregivers may question, ‘what is the best way to address this behaviour, time out, redirection, taking away the toy, or cause of the behaviour for a bit?’ Many professionals who have a background in child guidance would suggest that this event is a perfect opportunity for learning. Take this time to talk with your child and help them to understand the feelings of others by teaching them empathy.

Research on empathy suggests that this is not a skill that develops on its own, it requires learning. Parents and caregivers play a big role in supporting the development of empathetic understanding through experience, acknowledging, labeling feelings, and modelling empathetic behaviours.

Start Young

Start as early as possible. Although the development of empathy may come easier to some children, appearing more natural, all children require support to foster this skill. The importance of an early start allows caregivers to develop a habit of recognizing teachable moments, making use of each opportunity and supports a smooth transition from the ability to receive and understand the verbal direction to then being able to use the skills in their own interactions.

Acknowledge and Label Feelings

Following with the first piece of advice, this is a concept you will want to start early. For children to learn empathy they need to learn emotions. Children will experience and move through many emotions; however, they lack the ability to recognize, label, and regulate their feelings. As children experience emotions, acknowledge them and give them names by labeling them, supporting their ability to begin making sense of their emotional world. When a child appears sad try phrases like, “I see you're sad” or “when your sister took that toy from you it made you sad.”

Labeling feelings young will also support the next step of recognizing the emotions of others. As you support children’s understanding of feelings and events that provoke certain feelings this will support their ability to begin understanding events that may cause others to feel certain ways. As children grow older you can begin to ask questions like, “remember when your brother pushed you and how that made you feel? How do you think your sister feels when that happens to her?”

Just as children will learn from you taking the time to label the feelings they experience, labeling your own feelings will also support their learning. Adults are only human, you will experience your own emotions, take this opportunity to acknowledge and label this experience, modelling how you regulate and cope when you experience big emotions.

Model Empathetic Interactions

Modelling is one of the most influential teaching tools, children learn from watching the behaviours of others. Be empathetic in your responses and interactions as you parent and engage with others in the presence of your children. Although patience can be difficult to achieve when working with some frustrating meltdowns or behaviours it is important to respond as you would expect your child to. Through these difficult moments teach children acceptable ways to handle their feelings. Model appropriate ways to manage difficult emotions and situations, using your words and talking through it. When experiencing really big emotions take this opportunity to express the need for a break until you can regulate your emotions by taking a few breaths or having a drink of water, modelling appropriate ways to self-regulate and cool down.

As children grow and develop more language skills, they can learn empathy through discussions you have about their own experiences. Take time and ask questions about their experiences, asking questions about their feelings, and reflecting what you have heard them say. This will create an opportunity for children to clarify and accurately express their thoughts and feelings.

Reference

Bergin, S. (2011). Teaching Children Empathy. BYU Magazine

Creating Healthy Routines for Children

Fri, 27 Aug 2021 05:39:37 GMT

(The photograph above is courtesy of Markus Spiske on Unsplash)

Develop a Daily Visual Schedule

Visuals are useful tools to support children’s learning and understanding, helping them to cope with transitions throughout the day. Visual schedules allow children to know what to expect, which can be used in classroom settings and at home. Pair visuals with words and verbal instructions to support literacy and language and have conversations about them.

Creating a visual schedule can be a fun and informative way to support children with routines from day to day. This can be created with graphic pictures to represent each activity, event, or task. There are many free resources online if you search google images for “visual schedule resources for children”.

Use items like Velcro adhesive that can be found at your local dollar store to allow for changes and updates to your schedule, or mactac (sticky laminate) for durable long-lasting pictures. Schedules can be created as a poster that can be placed on the wall or use smaller tools like a folder that can be referred to and brought with you as you move from different places during the day.

Involve Children & Make it Fun

Make this experience fun for children by including them in the process of developing and establishing these routines. Children can also be included in the process and preparation by taking photos of them completing each event and using their pictures to create your visual schedule. You can also have them colour the downloaded visuals you use to make their schedule or help by adding the Velcro stickers to the back of each task.

Be sure to refer to the visual schedule and have the child update it as they move through each task. Use items like envelopes for completed tasks and allow children to remove each event from their schedule as they accomplish a task or activity.

Give Warnings to Support Transitions

Transitions can be very difficult for children. Give children warnings and reminders to support transitions. Prepare children by giving 5-minute, 2-minute, and 1-minute reminders. Visuals can also be useful tools to prepare children for transitions. Items like timers can be useful to show remaining time before the next transition, you can use objects like egg timers or countdown clocks .

Use verbal instructions, talk with them about the process using wording like “first…then” so they know what to expect. As children develop more language skills, ask them questions about upcoming tasks so they gain an understanding of the routine and prepare for what is to come, this helps you to learn what they understand and expect as well.

Update to Reflect any Changes

Changes due to weather, situations, and appointments may arise from day to day; update the visual schedule to reflect this. Talk with children about any planned changes the day before so they know that the following day will have a slightly different routine. Start the day off by going over the expectations and time frame of changes in the routine to help children prepare and cope with what is to come.

Ask vs. Guess

Fri, 27 Aug 2021 05:16:02 GMT

Ask vs. Guess

A passion for all of us at Imagine is bridging gaps. In our line of work this is often the gap between research and practice, but we also love bridging gaps between people. Our trainings help participants begin to answer questions like:

· What can cause relationships to break down and what can we do to repair them?

· Are there things we can do to avoid these relationship stumbling blocks all together?

So, when we first came across the concept of Ask Culture vs Guess Culture we were completely intrigued and excited to explore further with our Imagine learning community.

If you’re not familiar with Ask Culture vs Guess Culture , here’s a quick introduction:

Imagine your friend has family coming to town but their home doesn’t have enough space for everyone to sleep there. They want to know if their cousin can stay with you for the weekend. As much as you love your friend, you definitely don’t want to have a stranger spend the weekend at your house. What is your first thought about how you will respond?

Is it “No problem. I’ll just tell my friend no; her cousin can’t stay with me.”

Is it “This is so awkward! I can’t believe my friend would ask this!”

Or is it something else in the middle?

If your first response was I’ll just say no, you are probably an Asker and likely grew up in Ask Culture . If your first response was about how awkward it is that your friend would ask, you are probably a Guesser and likely grew up in Guess Culture .

Now, like most things in life this is a false dichotomy. For the purposes of understanding Ask Culture and Guess Culture in this post we’re going to continue to discuss them as only two options, but the truth is they exist on a spectrum. Some people are strong Askers, some people are strong Guessers, and a lot of people fall somewhere in the middle.

Members of Ask Culture are taught that it’s okay to ask for anything – a last minute appointment, help moving, staying at a relative’s house, whatever – but that you must be okay with the fact that the answer might be no. So strong askers are perfectly comfortable saying no to the requests of others and hearing no to their own requests.

Members of Guess Culture feel that it is only okay to ask someone for something if you are reasonably sure that the other person will say yes. They believe it is awkward or rude to have to say no and they don’t want to have to put another person in that position. Often instead of asking, a member of Guess Culture will systematically feel out another person and drop hints about what they need. If they do it right, the other person will understand and offer. They’ll never have to make a direct request.

Both approaches are common to different groups of people, and neither is right or wrong. (In fact, if you have a strong feeling that one is superior to the other you are likely located at one end of the spectrum rather than somewhere in the middle). Where problems arise though, as in most cultural differences, is when we assume the other person has the same frame of reference as us.

If I’m an Asker and am comfortable saying and hearing no, I assume you are as well. But if you’re a Guesser I may come across as rude or lacking tact. On the flip side, Guessers can come across as indecisive or passive to Askers.

So how do we bridge this gap?

Understanding is always the most important step. Simply being aware that we all have been raised somewhere on this Ask-Guess spectrum gives us a lot of power. We can learn about our colleagues, friends, and family. Where do they lie on the spectrum? What are their preferences around asking? How can we better communicate with each other knowing this?

But if you’re looking for some practical tips, here are some things to try:

For people further on the Ask side of the spectrum:

Listen for subtle nos. Maybe the other person didn’t say no to your request, but Guessers have a hard time saying no. Instead, they might say something like “Oh, I’ll have to check”.

· Before you make a request remind the other person that saying no is a completely acceptable response.

For people further on the Guess side of the spectrum:

· Remember that not everyone can pick up on hints you think are obvious. The person may be happy to help and just not understand your cues.

· Practice saying no

For everyone:

· Check in when you’re not sure.

· Apologize and laugh together when miscommunications occur because they will!

Good luck bridging those gaps!

Angela Hill, The Imagine Team

Extra Example:

Say an Asker requests something of a colleague who is a Guesser. Not only would the Guesser feel that asking directly is rude, but the Guesser will likely feel that they can’t say no. This is because in Guesser mindset no one would ask for anything unless they expect the answer to be yes. Now the Guesser finds themselves saying yes to something they don’t have time for or don’t want to do and resentment can build. The Asker, however, is completely in the dark about this. In Ask Culture it’s completely reasonable to ask for anything because if the other person can’t do it or doesn’t want to, they’ll just say so. So now we have two people on very different pages.

Living Hope: A Community Plan to Prevent Suicide in Edmonton

robertjpinsent@gmail.com (Robert Pinsent) — Fri, 21 May 2021 20:46:14 GMT

11 of Us was developed as part of the Living Hope program which is the Edmonton Community's collective response to suicide. This campaign represents the 11 Edmontonians who either attempt or die by suicide each and every day.

As part of the Living Hope Program, and only until October 2021, the Imagine Institute For Learning is offering two complimentary training sessions. These training workshops align with the goals and objectives outlined in Living Hope - A Community Plan to Prevent Suicide in Edmonton. These complimentary trainings include both QPR Suicide Prevention (three-hour session) and Trauma-Informed Care: Translating Trauma-Informed Principles into Practice (over two consecutive days). For a list of training dates and detailed descriptions for each course curriculum please visit our trainings section of this website.

Those interested in registering can do so directly from our training section. Please also visit 11ofus.ca for information on other sponsored training and education provided through Living Hope.

Community Mental Health Training Framework

robertjpinsent@gmail.com (Robert Pinsent) — Fri, 21 May 2021 18:03:44 GMT

The Community Mental Health Training Framework Toolkit was conceived from a request to synthesize all of the training opportunities in the Province of Alberta and to identify core competencies that contribute to a competent and effective workforce. The initial idea was to compile an inventory of the available training across all sectors.

Recognizing that supporting mental health is everyone's business and not just the purview of professionals who work directly in the mental health system, we endeavoured to identify trainings, resources and materials that would support all individuals who work with human beings in a relationship-based practice setting. (e.g., social workers, first responders, security personnel, transit workers, cab drivers, sport coaches, educators, librarians, health professionals, retailers and other businesses, etc.)

The training framework was developed with a few key principles in mind:

(1) Leverage existing investments made to develop quality professional development opportunities with a focus on highlighting Alberta made resources and training;

(2) Acknowledge that professionals have limited time and resources to access training opportunities, the goal is to help streamline the process of identifying appropriate training to meet the varied needs of individuals and organizations;

(3) Recognize the different needs around the skills required to develop a basic understanding in the areas of knowledge, behavioural and activating competencies.

The Community Mental Health Training Framework has a multitude of in-person training, online training, learning immersions, resources, videos and toolkits all scaffolded for each of six knowledge domains:

(1) Mental Health Awareness

(2) Addiction and Substance Abuse

(3) Brain Development & the Impact of Trauma

(4) Trauma-Informed Care

(5) Workplace Wellness

(6) Suicide Prevention

The training framework can be easily accessed from the CMHAP Website mentalhealthactionplan.ca

Community Mental Health Action Plan

robertjpinsent@gmail.com (Robert Pinsent) — Fri, 21 May 2021 17:05:49 GMT

The Community Mental Health Action Plan is a collaboration of organizations in Alberta collectively working to improve the mental health and addiction services available in the community. The fundamental concern is that the mental health and addiction system is under-resourced, which is recognized by the Government of Alberta in the Valuing Mental Health report (December 2015).

The Action Plan has brought together community organizations and key government decision makers in a regional conversation thus pooling our collective wisdom. The Plan has also been informed by the experiences of health professionals, volunteers, families and people with lived experience of mental health illnesses. It is truly a collective endeavour.

The purpose of the Action Plan is to ensure that everyone involved in mental health and addiction in Alberta has the opportunity to maximize collective resources, leverage opportunities to respond to existing gaps, foster innovative approaches and identify a continuum of integrated supports and services. The Action Plan will focus on the promotion of positive mental health and the prevention of mental illness through early identification and intervention.

The Imagine Institute For Learning act as a collaboration and training consultant and for the Community Mental Health Action Plan.

For more detailed information on the Action Plan, please visit mentalhealthactionplan.ca