3rd Annual National Rural Youth Summit on Hate
That’s a wrap on the 3rd Annual National Rural Youth Summit on Hate!
We were proud to co-sponsor this powerful two-day youth conference, hosted by the Centre on Hate, Bias & Extremism at Ontario Tech University, that brought together over 65 high school students and educators from across rural Ontario to explore hate and harassment in rural communities, as well as strategies for countering hate online and in person.
Day 1 Highlights: Interactive Workshops and Exploration
Participants attended six workshops on topics including:
Local and national trends in hate and harassment
The impacts of hate on individual and community well-being
Polarization and cognitive biases
Digital and media literacies
Digital wellness and addressing hate in digital spaces
Community gathering and coordination to counter hate
Students shared incredible insights about their experiences online, at school, and in their communities, and reflected on evidence-informed strategies for addressing hate. They arrived at each new session with open minds and thoughtful engagement!
Day 2 Highlights: Action Plan and Strategy Development
Students and educators worked together in their school teams to apply what they learned from the workshops to develop action plans for initiatives they would like to implement in the 2026-2027 academic year. Their awesome ideas included:
Social media campaigns and PSAs to address gender-based violence
Hands-on educational workshops for elementary students about the impacts of bullying and hate-based actions
Designing and sharing bags, stickers, and bookmarks for students with messages that counter hate and promote safety and inclusivity
Student art displays and murals for visual reminders that “hate has no place here.”
And many more!
It was an inspiring two days with youth who are leading the way in their communities! We cannot wait to follow up with each team in the fall to see how their projects progress!
A special thank you to graduate students in the Frazer Faculty of Education and the Faculty of Social Science and Humanities at Ontario Tech for their support throughout the event!
