Presentation by: Abhayjeet Sachal, Arry Pandher, Faith Carswell
Session: C | Time: 10:05AM – 10:45AM | Location: Room 200
As humans, we learn best when we are passionate about certain subjects. To revolutionize the process of learning for students, Break The Divide Foundation presents a new form of personalized learning through personal connection and video calls. Inspired by personal connections with the environments and individuals from around the world, Abhayjeet Singh Sachal founded Break The Divide after traveling to the Arctic in 2016. Based on the young student’s personal connection, he created an international network for students to engage in dialogue with one another and discuss ways to solve local issues. Not only are students more aware of global issues, but because of the friendships created youth are able to personalize their learning. As a result, their learning becomes applicable to the real world, and they are passionate to create change.
Break The Divide’s presentation will involve Indigenous youth living in the Canadian Arctic speaking to conference members about their learning and issues facing their community. Essentially, the practice of hands-on and personal learning will be discussed. Break The Divide has addressed this practice by changing the way youth learn through after school programs and community involvement. Namely, in local Delta, BC, youth became personally connected with a group of students with disabilities, and almost immediately mindsets were changed about disabilities. Stigmas had been broken, an issue of apathy that had never been addressed in the traditional classroom. Similarly, through Break The Divide’s connections with Indigenous youth, students in BC were able to learn about inter-generational trauma and showcase their advanced levels of understandings of the issue.
Significantly, there are numerous issues that fail to be addressed in the classroom. Therefore, there is an essential requirement for Break The Divide’s programs that connect youth from different walks of life with one another. Undoubtedly, these methods of youth engagement are applicable to all attending the IOP conference; they can immediately be implemented in learning environments to improve student experiences and empower youth to take action on prominent issues. Break The Divide executive members will speak to educators about these actions to take to break the educational divide.
Abstract: 567