Equity, Diversity, and Social Justice at The YMCA Academy

YMCA Academy English and Humanities, Experiential Learning, YMCA of Greater Toronto No Comments

Students from the Academy’s Equity, Diversity and Social Justice class held a Social Justice Fair on Monday to share their research and action plans.

This course, part of the Ministry of Education’s new Social Sciences and Humanities curriculum, has quickly become a vital and popular part of our course calendar. It provides a platform for a wide range of vital learning opportunities, including building empathy, engaging with the community, collaboration, and evaluating information sources.

It’s also the perfect vehicle to reinforce the mission, vision, and values of the YMCA of Greater Toronto, and to reinforce the association’s commitment to diversity and social inclusion.

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Students visit Tattoo Sound + Music

YMCA Academy Community, Experiential Learning, Technology No Comments

As part of a unit on the world of sound, the Academy’s two Grade 10 Communications Technology classes travelled to Tattoo Sound + Music earlier this week.

Dana, Steve, and the Tattoo staff spent their morning conducting an interactive, hands-on workshop for the group. Students learned about the process of creating a rich sonic tapestry, how to get started in the industry, what it’s like to work with major clients, and how the equipment in a professional recording studio works. Then, volunteers from each class got behind the microphones and recorded some foley sound effects for a commercial!

Authentic learning experiences like these are vital and highly engaging opportunities for students to build on and apply the skills they learn in class. The Academy group asked many excellent questions, and were excited to learn that some major musical stars had once graced the very spot where they stood.

But we couldn’t do it without support from people like Dana, Steve, and the Tattoo Sound + Music crew, who opened their doors to the school and took time out of their busy schedules to enrich our students’ learning. You can read more about our commitment to experiential learning here.

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Grade 10 Science – Pig Dissection

Zareh Demirdji Experiential Learning, Science and Math No Comments

Learning about cells and tissues can be a difficult concept for students considering how small cells are, and how much information there is to know about the different tissue types in the human body. With cells and tissues out of the way, organs and organ systems take center stage which students find easier as they have a good amount of background knowledge about most of the major organs and the major functions they have. Each student was assigned a specific organ to research and become a “master” of. Students then used this knowledge to teach each other about their organs.

In order to see how all of the major organs look, and to get a better appreciation for how they work together, the grade 10 science class observed the dissection of a fetal pig just before their biology unit assignment. Students were called upon to explain their assigned organs to the rest of the class throughout the dissection. An alternate room was set up for student who did not want to partake in the dissection. Although the dissection was an exciting idea to most of the class during the days leading up to the dissection, only 3 of the 9 students in attendance ended up partaking in the entire dissection. All of the students got a chance to see the pig before the dissection, and most of them saw various portions of the dissection, with all of them making memorable memories regardless of their level of participation.

Exploring the Turner Exhibit at the AGO

YMCA Academy Arts, Experiential Learning No Comments

Fierce, eccentric, beautiful. These are some of the words associated with the great British Romantic painter JMW Turner.

The senior visual arts class visited the current AGO exhibition of his later works today, and were treated to a guided tour by an education officer. We discussed the work of his period, sketched our favourite watercolours, and stood in awe at his majestic oil paintings which seemed to emit natural light.

“What I like best about the Turner exhibition was the fact that Turner’s art was centuries ahead of its time,” said one student. “I also like the fact that Turner was the greatest watercolour and oil paint abstract artist. The Turner exhibition opened my eye to a new but yet centuries old way of doing art.”

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Learning about Complementary Medicine

Zareh Demirdji Experiential Learning, Healthy Living, Native Studies, Science and Math No Comments

The healthcare fundamentals unit in the grade 11 health care class is a very long and involved one. After learning common health care terms and learning about the major bones, muscles and organs in the body from hospice care franchise from Interim Home Healthcare, we have shifted our focus to the topics of homeostasis, lifestyle choices, and disease prevention and treatment but it is better to get redirected here to know about the current need in the field of medicine. When looking at disease prevention and treatment, we not only look at the conventional western modalities, but also focus on complementary methods such as massage therapy, meditation, acupuncture, and herbal remedies. The grade 11 health care class was fortunate to be able to look at this important site which covers the topic of  First Nations Rituals of disease prevention and treatment. We had the good fortune of having the Academy’s good friend and master orator Jim Adams who led two classes on the aforementioned topic.

On the first day, students looked at how Western medicine differs from Indigenous medicine, focusing not only on the differences, but the similarities as well. Jim talked about the medicine wheel and its teachings as well as the seven chakras of the body.

On day two, students were treated to cedar tea at the start of class and informed about its health benefits. Jim focused on the use of energy centers to achieve balance to overall health during the first half of the class, and answered student questions during the second half. Overall, students were very engaged and intrigued by the wealth of knowledge and stories Jim presented to them.