Grade 6 students from Lakeland Ridge are shining a light on human rights issues and calling for change this week. Over the last six weeks, the students have been participating in the Canadian Museum of Human Rights' Be an Upstander project, an annual initiative that tasks students with creating their own work exploring current human rights issues and their impact on the world. Now, they are presenting their projects in the Upstander Showcase at the Royal Alberta Museum on Thursday, May 28.
Grade 6 students Natalie Holmes and Sadie Clark stand beside their sexism in sports project.
"I've learned so much through this project, but what surprised me most is realizing how many people are affected by things we rarely think about in our daily lives," says Grade 6 student Amaya Kawaguchi. "People live with issues every day that others may never think about at all. That's why it's so important to speak out and spread awareness."
The project asks students to become upstanders in the world; that is, those who can recognize injustices, and use their own personal strengths and beliefs to defend human rights. Students explore the defining traits of an upstander, how to turn their personal passions into action and how to produce positive change. Their goal by the end of the project is to teach others about current human rights issues and inspire them to take action that creates real impact.
Grade 6 student Amaya Kawaguchi presents her project on water pollution in Canada.
The Lakeland Ridge students' projects focus on a variety of topics based on their personal passions, including water pollution; sexism in sports; two-spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning, intersex and asexual (2SLGBTQIA+) inclusion; child labour; racism; human trafficking; gender pay gap; and houselessness. Lakeland Ridge students are joined by students, grades 5 to 12, from the Edmonton area all of whom have committed to taking a stand against a range of human rights issues.
"The passion these students have put into their projects is so impressive, and we are super excited for them to share their work with the greater Edmonton community," says Colleen Holowaychuk, the Board Chair for EIPS. "The future looks much brighter knowing that these dedicated, upstanding students will be the change-makers of tomorrow."
Student projects will be on public display at the Royal Alberta Museum on May 28, from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. Members of the public and media are encouraged to attend and learn about the human rights issues that matter to students today.
