Students at Springhill Junior-Senior High School have a program that’s unique to Cumberland County and maybe something new for Nova Scotia schools.
What began as a safe place for students to go to during the 2022-23 school year has developed into an culture and inclusion club that allows participants to learn about and take part in different cultures and traditions and to help everyone appreciate the importance of being welcoming and open to others.
“It started as a place for students to come as a safe place and it was based more on de-escalation and making connections as well as building rapport with other students and teachers,” program co-founder and resource teacher Jean-Marc Rioux said. “Since then, we’ve have traditional leaders, elders and other people come in and share their expertise that has allowed the program to grow into what it is today.”
Members of the Springhill Junior-Senior High School’s culture club wear the ‘Inclusionwear’ clothing purchased by members of Cumberland municipal council to help promote diversity and inclusion at the Springhill school. The club is unique to Cumberland County. Darrell Cole – Municipality of Cumberland photo
The program has hosted ceremonies for African-Nova Scotian and Indigenous students and is looking to add events for students from other cultures as well.
The group has also volunteered in the cafeteria and has introduced cuisine from various cultures to the students at the school.
He said something Gord Pictou, a cultural representative with the Chignecto Central Regional Centre for Education, said during a school visit rung true with the students and has become an integral part of their thinking.
“All the trees in the forest have roots and they’re all interconnected, just like we are as people,” Rioux said. “The students have all bought into that and showed all cultures can work together and as a school we can all be leaders of change.”
To assist the program, members of Cumberland municipal council provided the funding to purchase clothing for the students – known as ‘Inclusionwear’.
“It means a ton of things for the kids. It shows our unity,” co-founder and school vice-principal Nayo Upshaw said. “The logo Mr. Rioux created with the students encompasses the African and Indigenous cultures. It’s something the students are proud to wear. It’s on show for everyone to see here.”
The logo shows the black fist of power, symbolizing change and unity, representative of the African-Nova Scotian culture as well as the eagle feather and the four traditional colours of the medicine wheel in the middle as well as the green colour representing African descent.
Upshaw said the Inclusionwear also sets the stage for other students and other people to follow the students’ example. It’s also something that’s being shared with other schools.
Members of Cumberland municipal council with the ‘Inclusionwear’ it purchased for members of the Springhill Junior-Senior High School’s culture club that promotes inclusion and diversity. Darrell Cole – Municipality of Cumberland photo
There are between 35 and 40 students in the club, pretty impressive in a school of 250 students. The club is open every day at noon as a place for students to congregate, while there’s a weekly smudging ceremony on Fridays.
Municipality of Cumberland Deputy Mayor Mark Joseph first learned of the inclusion program while visiting the school to help out with its lunch program. He was very impressed with the initiative and the life skills the program offers to its participants.
“This is probably the only school that does this in Cumberland County and I hope it catches on with other schools,” Joseph said. “It’s something we believe very strongly in with the municipality, whether it be Emancipation Day or National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. It’s important to be a welcoming municipality just as this program at SHS will help make it a welcoming school that everyone wants to attend.”
Coun. Carrie Goodwin said it wasn’t a hard decision for the municipal councillors to dip into their district funds to purchase clothing for the program.
“It speaks volumes about council’s belief to support diversity and inclusion in everything we do,” Goodwin said.