On Friday, June 5, secondary students across VSB came together at Simon Fraser University’s Segal building to advance diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) for VSB’s seventh annual DEI conference. This year’s theme, Amplifying Story, was present throughout each conference session.

The day began with facilitator Warren Hooley sharing his story of growing up between cultures, with mixed roots from Okanagan (Syilx), English and Ukrainian heritage. In his keynote presentation, Bringing Balance to our Lives and the Systems we Live in, Hooley’s message for students was to not be afraid of challenges in life. Instead, he said, be prepared.

“The waves of life will never stop coming. You can ride them with grace, but it takes practice. In order to grow in life, you have to get into the water,” said Hooley.

His message to push oneself out of a comfort zone resonated deeply with students.

“If I were to take one thing away from today, it would be about the different zones in your life. I think it’s more important to get out of your comfort zone and into the learning zone a little more in life, but make sure not to wander too far and go into the dysregulation zone,” says Grade 11 student Jamie.

The keynote was followed by several workshops, including:

• The hidden Black history of British Columbia, led by Shayla Bird
• Creating a more accessible world led by Paralympian and adaptive athlete, Leo Sammarelli
• The queer history of British Columbia, led by Glen Tkach

Each of the speakers shared how their personal history and lived experiences shaped who they are and fueled their drive to pursue their respective work.

The day concluded with a celebration of Afro-Caribbean music and dance from Gladstone Secondary’s senior dance team.

The goal of the conference is to celebrate and learn about different cultures and identities, in turn helping to create positive learning environments where students feel connected and accepted.

“Being somebody who is half brown, just learning about other cultures, learning about how different communities work and how they all view themselves and others is so important. I know I haven’t always been accepted, so I want to make sure I accept others,” says Grade 11 student Laith.

“Not everybody had the chance to come to this conference, but we did, so we feel a responsibility to share this information with them,” he adds.

Students left the conference empowered and eager to share their learning with their families and school communities.

Thank you to all the student leaders from the DEI student leadership team for facilitating a conference where students are empowered to build stronger and more inclusive communities!