Action:reAction 2015
A youth social-forum celebrating creative resistance
Hosted by OSSTF Toronto HUMAN RIGHTS COMMITTEE
Invitation to teachers and students
Come share your passion for social change with other students and
teachers, from across the city. Participate in dynamic and diverse
workshops offered by community activists, and celebrate the
presentation of the Camille Natale awards for outstanding human
rights/social justice work by TDSB students.
For the second year the Human Rights Committee of OSSTF District 12 (Toronto
Secondary Teachers and Professional Support Staff) will host an exciting and unique
student social-forum. We created Action:reAction to draw together politically and
socially engaged teachers and students with community activists, to share and learn from
one another. Understanding that social change and creative expression go hand in hand,
the forum highlights creative resistance and popular education approaches, such as, street
theatre, hip hop, spoken word, graffiti, visual arts, and the like. The social-forum aims to
be a creative space for engaged youth, to gather and share information, ideas, and
accomplishments.
Who:
 Secondary school students and educators, from across the city who have
a personal commitment to human rights and social justice. And would like
to meet and share experiences with others who feel the same way, from
within and outside of the school system.
Where and When:

8:30 am to 3:30 pm, April 30th, 2015, Vaughan Road Academy, 529
Vaughan Rd, Toronto (near St. Clair West subway station)
Why:
 Celebrate the extensive, creative, and vibrant human rights/social justice
work being done across the city
 Gather Toronto-based students, teachers, unionists, artists and human
rights & social justice community activists to learn from one another
 Create a network of student and educator activists from across the city
that is connected to the larger activist community in Toronto
 Present the Camille Natale Awards to recognize outstanding Human
Rights/Social Justice activism by TDSB students
Tentative agenda
8:30 – 9:00
9:15 – 9:45
Registration
Intro: D12 OSSTF President Doug Jolliffe on the legacy of
teacher/activist Camille Natale Video presentations highlighting
participating school groups
Keynote address (TBD)
Workshop Sessions 1 and 2: Building awareness / Creating resistance
9:55 – 10:55
11:05 – 12:05
First breakout session
Second breakout session
Lunch (provided courtesy of OSSTF District 12 Toronto)
12:05 – 1:00
Open gathering space to eat and share music/poetry/theatre
performances
Workshop Session 3: Taking Action
1:00 – 2:00
Theme-based Workshop Facilitators will build a network among
the different schools to organize around an issue (e.g. poverty,
LGBTQ issues, etc.)
2:00 – 2:30
School-based Workshop - Teachers will work with their students
to facilitate the implementation of each of their ideas at their
school. The main goal of this workshop is to plan next steps and
ensure that there is forum follow-up at the schools.
2:30 – 3:15
Camille Natale Awards presentation
Adjournment
Apply online using the online form available at:
We ask all participating TDSB schools to consider applying for the Camille Natale
Award. The application form for the award can be found at:
Questions regarding the conference can be directed to:
Hayssam Hulays, Executive Liaison OSSTF D12 HRC: hhulays@osstfd12.com
416-393-8900
Or
Bruce Lyne, Chair OSSTF D12 HRC, bruce.lyne@tdsb.on.ca