2nd Annual National Rural Youth Summit on Hate
- May 28, 2025
- 1 min read
In May, we had the pleasure of joining the Centre on Hate, Bias & Extremism for the 2nd Annual Rural Youth Summit on Hate, which brought together over 50 high school students and educators from across rural Ontario!
Students and educators travelled to Ontario Tech University to explore topics on hate and harassment, digital wellness, mindfulness, digital literacy, and how youth can be agents of change and combat hate online and offline.
A central goal of the Summit is to empower students and educators to return to their school communities with action plans based on what they learned and changes they hope to see in their schools.
This year, schools’ action plans focused on:
Anti-hate workshops and initiatives throughout the year
Acts of kindness campaigns
Integrating mindfulness moments into the school day and at more challenging times during the academic year (e.g., exams, new semester)
Amplifying student voice through surveys and check-ins
More professional development for staff
Educating and engaging upper-year student leaders to promote inclusivity and a culture of acceptance with younger students
And many more!!
It was an inspiring two days with incredibly bright, empathetic, forward-thinking young leaders! We’re excited to follow up with the schools in the fall as they put their plans into action!
Led by: Dr. Barbara Perry and Dr. Jennifer Laffier
A special thank you to our guest presenters, Dr. Gabriel Roman Ayyavoo and our friends from MediaSmarts for their insightful sessions!
