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
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.