Partnership Promotes Inclusion and Accessibility in the Classroom
The province is working with the Rick Hansen Foundation to promote inclusion and accessibility in public school classrooms so all students feel welcomed, valued and supported.
Curriculum learning resources from the Rick Hansen Foundation School Program are now available to all teachers throughout the province thanks to a partnership between the Rick Hansen Foundation and the Nova Scotia Department of Education and Early Childhood Development.
“By partnering with the Rick Hansen Foundation, we are able to provide teachers with new resources to help them promote inclusive education and accessibility in their classrooms,” said Zach Churchill, Minister of Education and Early Childhood Development. “Our schools are filled with people with different gifts and talents and by promoting greater awareness we are teaching students to embrace each others’ differences so that tomorrow’s communities are more inclusive.”
The resources include toolkits, access to Foundation ambassadors and a series of grade primary to 12 lesson plan ideas that support learning about accessibility, inclusion and active citizenship.
Quotes:
“Nova Scotia has played an important role in my life. Wheeling through the province on my Man In Motion World Tour, I always felt welcomed and supported by Nova Scotians. Thirty-five years after my tour, I’m proud to see that Nova Scotia is the first province in the country to officially adopt our Foundation’s School Program resources as part of their school curriculum. This means that every teacher has access to learning resources that empower youth to make a difference and become the next generation of accessibility and inclusion champions. I hope other provinces across the country are inspired to follow their commitment to creating an accessible and inclusive world for people of all abilities!”
– Rick Hansen, founder, Rick Hansen Foundation
"My goal as an educator is to make people feel seen, heard and valued. When my grade 3 students started asking questions during the Rick Hansen Foundation ambassador presentation at my school, I saw in them a genuine desire to know more and do more. They wanted to better understand the experience of those people who don't feel included. I took my students curiosity and facilitated those tough questions. This partnership is such an important and exciting step in the movement toward empowering our future difference makers. I always tell my students that role models and mentors come in all ages, colours, shapes, and sizes. Ability does not determine potential."
– Leah Fumerton, grade 1/2 teacher, Fairview Heights Elementary, Halifax; 2019 Rick Hansen Foundation Difference Maker
Additional Resources:
For more information about the Rick Hansen Foundation School Program and educational resources, visit: https://rickhansen.com/schools
For information about teacher learning resources in Nova Scotia, go to: https://curriculum.novascotia.ca/sites/default/files/documents/resource-files/Curriculum%20Connections%20for%20the%20Rick%20Hansen%20Foundation%20School%20Program.pdf