Reports on recent College activities and a selection of announcements, events and initiatives in the wider education community.
Voting Rules!
Ontario's youth get a graphic lesson in democracy
Teachers will soon have a new way to get students interested in democracy. Voting Rules! is a new civic education program, and its development could not come at a better time: Voter apathy, particularly among youth, has reached worrisome levels in Ontario and across the country.
Elections Canada and Elections Ontario cite teachers' concerns about a lack of appropriate resources to properly convey the complex subject. With this in mind, they have teamed up with teachers, students and Canadian historians to create a graphic novel for the Grade 5 and 10 civics curriculum in Ontario.
Marc Mayrand, Canada's Chief Electoral Officer and Ontario counterpart Greg Essensa introduced the program on April 29 to a group of students at the 25th Ontario Model Parliament.
Students capped off the three-day event with a pledge to exercise their right to vote as soon as possible, before Mayrand and Essensa unveiled Voting Rules! to the enthusiastic crowd.
To reinforce key points of the program's lessons, students will take an active role by forming their own political parties and devising their own platforms. They will also learn about the conventions within a democracy, like the role of the official opposition and the steps to seeking election as a candidate. Before the education program is rolled out on a grander scale, students in 800 classrooms across the province are getting a chance to provide feedback as participants in a pilot version.
To find out more about Voting Rules! visit www.elections.on.ca.
Chief Electoral Officers Greg Essensa and Marc Mayrand unveil the pilot program to Ontario Model Parliament participants.
Students celebrate their Ontario Model Parliament achievements with CEOs Greg Essensa and Marc Mayrand.
Evan Capstick of the York School shows off his gavel, an award for excellence in the Ontario Model Parliament.
