Provincial Social Justice Conferences

Provincial Social Justice Conferences are held every two years and provide opportunities for local social justice contacts to attend workshops and network with colleagues from around the province.

This year’s conference will be held on May 24–25, 2019, and will be organized by the BCTF Committee for Action on Social Justice and the Aboriginal Education Advisory Committee. More information will be available soon.

Who can attend?
The BCTF will cover the expenses of the following participants:

• Locals with 1–999 members: one social justice contact and one Aboriginal education contact
• Locals with over 1,000 members: two social justice contacts and two Aboriginal education contacts

Cross Border Conference

We invite teachers, activists and artists to imagine our classrooms as spaces where joy is the syncopation that sustains the work for justice. It may seem ironic that late night comics have seen a surge in their ratings at a time when waves of hate regularly crash against the marginalized, but that increase in the need for laughter has been in step with a dramatic increase in support for organizations that work for justice. Teachers too have a role to play in this renaissance of justice. Let's share how we can teach for justice and with joy.

Teachers from British Columbia, Oregon, and Washington will come together to connect across borders in this second cross border social justice conference. Come! Bring your colleagues!

Date: Saturday, March 2, 2019

Time: 12:00 p.m.–8:00 p.m.

www.crossborderconference.weebly.com

Regional Social Justice Conferences

Funding for the Regional Social Justice Conference Fund occurs on a biennial basis. Social justice chairs from each local will be notified when funding resumes. Three grants of $25,000 each are available for the 2019–20 school year to provide funding for social justice conferences to be held throughout the province. The intent behind these grants is to build capacity and support the growth of social justice in a given region. Click here for information and application form for BCTF locals and sublocals or email Barb Ryeburn or Todd Patrick,  Assistant Directors of Social Justice for more information.

Regional Social Justice Conference Grants were used to fund the following conferences in 2018:

Surrey
On Saturday April 7, 2018, the Surrey Teachers’ Association (STA) is hosting Reclaiming Common Ground: A cross-border social justice conference. This event for classroom teachers will include workshops offered in all six BCTF CASJ action group areas: LBGTQ, antipoverty, status of women, environmental justice, antiracism, and peace and global education. The STA has invited our teaching colleagues from across the border in Washington and Oregon to participate in the conference. Naomi Klein and Seth Klein will be the keynote speakers—a rare opportunity!

We teachers are facing various attacks on our school system profession and practices. Public education as a common space—the foundation of a democratic society— has lost ground over the past 10 years. It’s time to reclaim the space that’s been lost to the voices of hate, bigotry, and neoliberalism. It’s time for teachers to re-engage in their important role in the process of social transformation.

This is a great opportunity to reach across the border and connect with colleagues who care about social justice!

Registration information can be found on the conference website: www.crossborderconference.weebly.com.

Haida Gwaii

On April 20–21, 2018, the Haida Gwaii Teachers’ Association (HGTA) is excited to be hosting a Regional Social Justice Conference titled The Justice of Place: Indigenous ways, social justice, and teaching.

On the Friday, teachers, students, community members, and Elders will share their knowledge through workshops on a variety of topics, including reconciliation, Indigenous sovereignty, Indigenous ways of being, antipoverty issues, environmental justice, women’s rights, antiracism, gender and LGBTQ equity, violence prevention, and trauma-informed approaches to teaching and learning. On Friday evening, there will be a social event for teachers at the Haida Heritage Centre.

On Saturday, place-based learning will occur with visits to the communities, the Haida Heritage Centre, carving sheds, and North Beach, followed by a shared meal and accommodation on North Beach in the Hiellen Cabins.

More details and registration information can be found on the Haida Gwaii Teachers’ Association website: www.haidagwaiiteachers.com. You can also contact Stephen Querengesser, Local President, Haida Gwaii Teachers’ Association, at 250-637-1805 or hgta@bctf.ca.