TOOL: Voices into Action

Conversation… it’s something we partake in every day and is essential to how we work together, live together and get along. Yet when topics are more complicated, rooted in political opinion, emotion or social justice, having these conversations can become more challenging. One of the most difficult topics can be racism and human rights.

Part of this difficulty may stem from a possible disconnect from reality, especially when someone else’s perspective or reality is much different than our own. Another possible difficulty may be that talking about and confronting issues regarding social justice often requires a deep understanding of the issues themselves.

These can be difficult challenges to conquer for anyone so, educators and students, allow me to introduce you to Voices into Action.

Voices into Action is a free online educational program dedicated to providing students with access to information on issues regarding human rights, prejudice, and hatred. Using a variety of media, the resource has been designed by curriculum experts to fulfill educational requirements of Canadian secondary school curricula while empowering students to use their voice for positive change. The program presents information on a history of human suffering, stemming from social injustice and focuses on knowledge and tools for action.

Through two portals (educators and students), both are able to use the online platform for free (always) to keep up with units and assignments. For educators, it offers the ability to customize lessons with your own notes and instructions, share lessons and assignments for students to access online, create PDF handouts, and use assessment tools to evaluate. Click here for an example teaching plan.

Voices into Action is the second initiative of FAST, a national nonprofit dedicated to teaching children and adults that hatred has no place in Canada. Their first program, Choose Your Voice focuses on prejudice, hate, and genocide and is targetted toward grades 6, 7, and 8 while Voices into Action is meant for secondary students.

Both programs are free and offer a wealth of curriculum-based teaching resources and tools such as:

• compelling videos that support the objectives of each unit
• Teaching plans and assessments
• Activities that include written assignments, discussion, role-play scenarios and group work
• Content or fact sheets, PDF creation, glossary, student worksheets, evaluation tools

Looking to register? Click here!

Written by: Keana Rellinger