The BCTF offers a variety of free workshops to teachers that aim to develop skills to address social justice issues within our classrooms and school communities. The following workshops on poverty are available for booking through the BCTF.

To request these or other Social Justice workshops for a school-based, local, or regional professional development day, or a School Union Representative Training (SURT) day, please click on the “Book this Workshop” link below the workshop description on the BCTF Social Justice Workshops page.

Addressing Ableism

(90 minutes)

Ableism is a set of beliefs or practices that devalue and discriminate against people with physical, intellectual, or psychiatric disabilities and often rests on the assumption that disabled people need to be ‘fixed’ in one form or the other. In this workshop, participants will learn more about the way we view disability and learn how to identify and fight the stigma that people with physical, intellectual, or psychiatric disabilities face every day. Teachers will discuss and reflect on how an understanding of ableism can guide their practice to cultivate disability pride, in ourselves, our students, and beyond.

This workshop has been adapted for online facilitation.

Help End Child Poverty in BC Classrooms, Schools, and Local Communities

(1.5–3 hours, includes off-screen working session and break)

Participants will raise their awareness on poverty issues in their classrooms and communities by using the BCTF Social Justice Lens and the BCTF Aboriginal Lens. They will assess their own school's, local's and community needs. Then they will be provided with the opportunity to work in groups on a plan of action that they can be done during the workshop to address their student's needs on issues related to poverty. 

Poverty IS a Classroom Issue

(90 minutes)

In 2019, the BC Government finally moved to implement a poverty reduction plan that will begin to help the 20% of our children who live in poverty. This workshop helps teachers to develop an awareness of the issue of poverty and its implication for our students. It will provide challenges for teachers on the assumptions we make about children living in poverty and provide strategies for teachers on how to support children who may be experiencing discrimination at school because of their socio-economic status.