Start the year off right by learning how to help your students develop positive social connections in your class. Dr. Liz Baker and Dr. Deinera Exner-Cortens are researchers from the University of Calgary and PREVNet and have studied extensively how teachers can help prevent bullying and teen dating violence. They discuss both the fundamental reasons behind social aggression amongst peers as well as practical strategies on how to build a supportive classroom community across all grade levels.

Resources

Bullying and Teen Dating Violence | Healthy Relationships - PREVNet

Identity-Based Bullying Online Training for Educators - PREVNet

Teen Dating Violence Online Training - PREVNet

In need of a little infusion of hope? Dr. Kate Storey shares her work on LINKing together people and organizations to support healthy school communities across Canada. This conversation dives into how we can work together to enact Canada’s National Healthy School Standards and how we can empower teachers to use these national standards to advocate for “higher-level support,” meaning time, resources, and funding from their school boards and provincial ministries. It gives them the data and vocabulary to say, “This isn’t just my idea; this is national best practice”. We talk about listening tours, uplifting the voices of students and teachers, celebrating progress, and LINKing together to amplify our individual actions and drive systems-level change. Spend 39 minutes with us and join the conversation.

Resources:

https://katestorey.com/our-projects/link/

https://healthyschoolslink.substack.com/p/chain-mail-spring-2026?utm_campaign=email-half-post&r=4dcggg&utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email

https://www.healthyschoolsalliance.ca/ca-healthy-school-standards

Shaping The Future Conference Early Bird Tickets Available Now

In recent years, youth physical activity levels have seen a decline. For girls, the numbers are particularly jarring, with only 8% meeting daily requirements for physical activity.

Armed with the latest data from the Canadian Health Measures Survey, we are diving deep into the barriers women and girls face in sport.

Joining us are Lindsay Wright and Tara Chisholm from the InMotion Network, who are at the forefront of elevating the lived experiences of women and girls in sport to create a more inclusive future.

This episode explores how modern barriers in sport exist because the systems themselves were never designed with women in mind. By listening to the lived experiences of women, including the voices of coaches and officials, we uncover "unchallenged truths" and work toward reimagining sport environments where women and girls don't just fit in, but truly belong. Ultimately, we discuss how diverse forms of advocacy can combine to build a healthier, more inclusive system that benefits us all.

Shownotes:

In Motion Network

Understanding the History of Sport in Canada

Increasing the Diversity of Coaches & Officials

What We Heard Recommended Actions

An Open Letter To Sport

Dr Kelly-Ann Allen is an associate professor and educational and developmental psychologist at Monash University whose internationally recognized research focuses on the science of belonging in schools. A former school psychologist, she translates research into practical strategies that help students feel connected, supported, and able to thrive. She is the author of several books, including the award-winning The Psychology of Belonging and 3 children’s books, with one more in the works. Kelly-Ann’s mission is to help educators strengthen belonging as a foundation for wellbeing and learning.

In this episode, we explore the path that led Dr. Kelly-Ann Allen to her groundbreaking work on belonging and why making research accessible and impactful beyond academia matters so deeply to her. We dive into how we can understand and meet our own belonging needs while learning the key ingredients that help students feel connected at school. Along the way, we talk children's literature, parenting, teaching, and how to attempt to navigate it all with curiosity and compassion.

Special thanks to Alberta Mentoring Partnership for sponsoring this episode.

Resources to share:

Dr. Kelly-Ann Allen Website

The Psychology of Belonging

The Lonely Little Cactus

Mia Belongs Here

School Is Where We All Belong

In this encouraging conversation, Dr. Jacqueline Leighton helps us explore what truly strengthens wellbeing in schools: relationships grounded in respect, trust, and authentic connection. Drawing on decades of research in the psychology of learning and relationships, she highlights why seeking understanding, rather than persuasion, is essential in our interactions with students, families, and colleagues.

We dig into how we show up in relationships at school, how to navigate difficult conversations without rupturing trust, and how self-awareness and self-regulation can guide us through tense moments. Dr. Leighton shares practical, in-the-moment strategies for responding in ways that preserve relationships, even when things feel heated. She also reframes how we can remain hopeful in the face of challenge and affirms, through research, the profound impact of educators’ relational work.

Dr. Jacqueline Leighton works as a Professor (University of Alberta) and Psychologist. Leaving Santiago (Chile) in 1975, two years after the coup d'etat, instilled in her a lifelong commitment to independent thinking, human rights, and specifically freedom of expression. She has over 30 years of experience observing/studying how children and adults think, feel, and communicate authentically and effectively in learning environments. A significant portion of her work has focused on understanding how trust is formed and maintained in pedagogical relationships (alliances) to help students thrive in their assessment and learning. Her research and teaching are informed by humanistic psychological principles, Universal Design for Learning (UDL), and the Learning Errors and Formative Feedback (LEAFF) model. She completed her PhD in Psychology at the University of Alberta, and her Postdoctoral Fellowship in Psychology at Yale University. Dr. Leighton is a fellow of the International Academy of Education.

Book Recommendation: Gleb Tsipursky - The Blindspots Between Us

Kathryn Schneider | INTEGRATED CONCUSSION RESEARCH PROGRAM | University of Calgary

Concussion Resources | Sport Injury Prevention Research Centre | SIPRC | University of Calgary

Best practices in Concussion in Sport: Updates from the Amsterdam International Consensus Statement - The Sport Information Resource Centre

SIPRC – SHRED injuries | University of Calgary

Concussion Awareness Training Tool for Educators: Concussion Awareness Training Tool for School Professionals

Concussion Awareness Training Tool for Youth: Concussion Awareness Training Tool for Youth

Making Headway from the Coaching Association of Canada: NCCP Making Head Way in Sport | Coaching Association of Canada | Association canadienne des entraîneurs

Online Concussion Course: Online Concussion Course | Faculty of Kinesiology | University of Calgary

In this conversation, we learn how a school-wide initiative focused on encouraging students to try things on their own led to improved well-being, less discipline issues, and a culture of support and celebration. Principal Geoffrey Bishop shares how the Fort McMurray Christian school took up a program called Let Grow in their specific school context and how students, teachers and parents were impacted. Andrea Keith, executive director of the non-profit organization Let Grow, shares how other students have benefited from being given the opportunity to be independent in their own communities. Practical strategies for giving students more autonomy to improve their confidence and resilience are shared throughout. This is a powerful example of a comprehensive school health initiative in a Canadian school.

References:

Let Grow - When Adults Step Back, Kids Step Up.

Profile on featured school: Let Grow is Life Changing: Parents and Kids Agree - Let Grow

Haidt, J. (2024). The anxious generation. Penguin Press. The Anxious Generation Out Now. Order the Book.

Rusveer Jones is a proud mom and a military wife. She packs lunches before sunrise and knows the weight of an empty fridge. She is a fierce advocate who’s lived with food insecurity, felt hunger’s sting, and seen how hunger dims a child’s eyes. She recently worked with Brown Bagging for Calgary’s Kids as the Family Engagement Support Coordinator, and is now studying Social & Behavioural Sciences and Organizational Leadership at Arizona State University. She recently ran her first-ever 5K in the Calgary Servus Marathon to raise funds for BB4CK, enjoys baking with her daughter, and recently took up cycling. Whether she’s cooking over a campfire or gathering her loved ones around the dinner table, Rusveer believes every kid deserves to focus on being a kid, not a growling tummy. Among her proudest achievements is organizing the annual bike ride for Veterans Transition Network, raising funds for veteran mental health programs. This year marks the 6th year for the ride - proving that one connection to the right support can start a lifelong journey of healing.

In this conversation, we talk about the experience of food insecurity, tackle some misconceptions, and point towards hope by sharing the impact of Brown Bagging for Calgary’s Kids. Tune in and deepen your understanding of how educators and community members can play a role in supporting students and families

References:

Brown Bagging for Calgary’s Kids

Veterans Transition Network

In this episode of The Podclass, we welcome Kai Williamson (they/them), a Health and Wellness Consultant with Ever Active Schools. With a background in education and a deep commitment to fostering inclusive, relational spaces, Kai guides us to look through a lens of well-being and belonging.

This conversation centers on student well-being while we unpack the impact of gender legislation in Alberta. Accurate information is power, and this episode offers clarity around the legislation and guidance for the path forward. Consider this 36-minute conversation a grounding experience amidst the complexity of our current reality. You will learn strategies that support gender diverse youth and all students, and be encouraged to move from conversation to action and find alignment in your allyship.

Skipping Stone: Resources

Egale Canada: Resources

Trans-Affirming Educators Toolkit

Article: What Educators Need to Know About Alberta’s Gender Policy Legislation

The National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation: https://nctr.ca/

Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada: Calls to Action https://ehprnh2mwo3.exactdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Calls_to_Action_English2.pdf

Fanon, F. (1968). The wretched of the earth. Grove Press.

Wilson, Waziyatawin, A. & Yellow Bird, Michael. (Eds.) (2005). For Indigenous eyes only: A decolonization handbook. School for Advanced Research Press.

https://martinbrokenleg.com/

Winnipeg Aboriginal Sport Achievement Centre https://www.wasac.ca/

Freire, P. (1970). Pedagogy of the Oppressed. Continiuum.

Tuck, E. & Yang, K. W. (2012). Decolonization is not a metaphor. Decolonization: Indigeneity, Education & Society (1), 1-40.

Turtle Lodge https://www.turtlelodge.org/ 

Katz, J. & Lamoureux, K. (2018). Ensouling our schools: A Universally designed framework for mental health, well-being, and reconciliation. Portage & Main Press. 

First Nations Child and Family Caring Society https://fncaringsociety.com/