Sharing the lead

We are less when we don't include everyone.
Stuart Milk, 2SLGBTQQIA+ human rights activist

Teachers and cultural leads Gaganpreet Lucky and Brett Ludwig celebrate diversity by creating space for students to share their own cultures.

Lucky and Ludwig have been working together as the cultural leads at Alex Janvier School since 2017. Their partnership works well because of their shared principle that “celebrating cultural events at school brings the students closer to each other’s cultural beliefs and traditions to develop respect and understanding for each other’s customs and traditions.”

What does it mean to be the cultural leads? Lucky and Ludwig are responsible for holding meetings, facilitating conversations and supporting students to stage cultural events throughout the school year.

When it comes to choosing which cultural days to recognize and how to mark each occasion, Lucky and Ludwig let the students take the lead. “Student leaders are critical to these celebrations. Their voice is what drives this work,” Lucky says.

With the support of Lucky and Ludwig, students volunteer their time to serve on committees and make each cultural day at the school special. The cultural days give students the chance to share their culture with others and to learn about and gain appreciation for different cultures in a fun way — getting to experience the decorations, dancing and food even as they deepen their understanding of each others’ values and world views.

With students representing nationalities from all over the world, there are many opportunities to recognize the different cultures within the school. In the past, the school has celebrated Diwali, Arab Cultural Day, Eid, Nowruz, Lunar New Year, Black History Month, Indigenous Peoples’ Day and Bonifacio Day.

Lucky and Ludwig have seen an overwhelmingly positive response from students, parents and staff, as aside from being enjoyable and engaging, these cultural days can have a lasting impact on the school community.

“Celebrating different cultures at school will bring to light new thinking and understanding,” Ludwig says. “Students need to understand there is never a right or wrong way — we are all different and we learn and grow together.”

Top tips

Organizing inclusive cultural celebrations at your school?

Build relationships with your students and, as appropriate, gather information about cultural diversity through student surveys.
Gather and share information (relevant books, music, videos, etc.) about the culture being celebrated in advance of an event.
Connect with community groups, parents and staff who can bring authenticity to this work.
Check out the ATA library’s seasonal web guide for inspiration and ideas.

Learn more about building cultural competence in yourself and your school community (ATA workshops are a great first step!).

Take Note

National Ribbon Skirt Day

January 4 is National Ribbon Skirt Day in Canada, first marked in 2023. The day is an opportunity to reflect on the continued discrimination and racism faced by Indigenous people and to honour the traditions — including traditional clothing such as the ribbon skirt — of Indigenous communities.

Kwanzaa

Kwanzaa, held annually from December 26 to January 1, celebrates African heritage. A cultural rather than religious holiday, the seven days of Kwanzaa reflect seven principles: umoja (unity), kujichagulia (self-determination), ujima (collective work and responsibility), ujamaa (cooperative economics), nia (purpose), kuumba (creativity) and imani (faith).