Over 200 students from 10 different British Columbia schools came together at St. Michaels University School for the Click and Consequences Conference, hosted for Grade 8's by Grade 8's on May 2. With the dedicated support of SMUS Middle School teacher Tanya Lee, SMUS Grade 8 students designed a full-day of activities and workshops around this year's theme of Managing the Digital Age's Pitfalls.
"This year marked the tenth anniversary of the Middle School's student-led conference, and the event was a tremendous success," said Lee. "We welcomed our largest number of attendees to date. The student conference planners were outstanding and I’ve received an outpouring of positive feedback from both staff and students. It’s a true testament to the dedication and hard work of the student-led planning team."
Highlighted by keynotes from author, neuroscientist, and speaker Dr. Jared Cooney Horvath, Grade 7 and 8 attendees took in knowledge around how their brains learn and retain information. Horvath's workshop was focused on sharing practical insights into improving students' study habits, enhancing memory retention, and fostering a growth mindset, all of which are critical to their success in school and beyond. Horvath also explored how technology is reshaping young minds and offered strategies to minimize its negative effects. That same week Dr. Horvath put on parent and staff presentations for the SMUS community, a second opportunity following his Spark Night presentation in October.
SMUS Middle School staff and faculty stepped up to run a variety of workshops designed to help students unplug from the digital world and re-charge their brains. The sessions had a wide variety of activities including a poke bowl cooking class with Valerie Pike, meditation with Gillian Nasmith, an art lesson with Nathan Birch, a music jam session with David Enns and other activities like dancing, games in the gym, Dungeons and Dragons and cryptic crosswords.
The day was focused on giving the students a device-free, joy-filled day of activities, while arming them with knowledge and tools to better understand how they can put their minds to work in a positive way.
"The conference also offered our Grade 8 students invaluable hands-on experience in organizing a large-scale event—experiential learning at its finest," added Lee.
Students had two workshops with Dr. Horvath and two sessions to take in the variety of activities, while also mingling with fellow middle school students from other schools during snack and lunch sessions. The day ended with a festive colour powder celebration on the field.
