As you may be aware, abortion is a hot topic these days. Beyond the usual Pro Choice vs Pro Life debate, the conservative Harper government's recent announcement that they will not support abortion funding for women in developing nations has sparked hot debate both at home and abroad.
Canada is now the only nation in the G8 who is refusing to support funding for abortion, in addition to other measures such as contraception and maternal health care. The controversy, it seems, stems partly from the fact that the Harper government waited until last Monday to announce, "for the first time that Canada will not fund abortions in its G8 child and maternal health-care initiative for developing countries" (CBC News).
This was good news for Canada's anti-abortion groups, who demonstrated their support for Harper's conservative policy, in Ottawa and across the country (The Globe and Mail). Activists took to Parliament Hill, calling for an end to abortion and claiming that abortion "constitutes a crime against humanity" (The Globe and Mail). Although Harper has said that he does not want to reopen the abortion debate here in Canada, it would seem that, in a way, he already has.
I'm interested to see where this goes ... are we losing our status as a forward-thinking, accepting nation? Will Canadian women have to fight, again, for the right to choose? Given that we now stand alone against the rest of the G8 on this issue for women around the world, I'm starting to wonder if this is the case.
What do YOU think?
Candice
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
It's the Final Day!
Tonight is my final workshop session! This ending is bittersweet ... although it has been an insane amount of work to get through this workshop, I have enjoyed it immensely and will miss running it when it's 
over. All the more reason to keep improving and looking for another opportunity to run a workshop!
I've prepared what I think is a pretty awesome info board for tonight's session on Teen Pregnancy. My intention is to give a "reality check" to those youth who may view pregnancy and raising a child as something that would be "fun" or "something to do". The board draws attention to three main things:
1) that having a baby changes your whole life;
2) that babies are expensive and;
3) that it's hard to pay for a baby when you and/or your partner haven't yet finished high school, or if you're relying on Governmental support to get you through.
A disclaimer, just in case: In no way am I trying to negate the positive aspects of parenthood, nor am I demeaning those who have had children when they were teens. As usual, I am trying to educate about the realities involved with having a child.
I still need to put together the actual activity board, but I wanted to share this info board with you!
Thanks for your support!
Candice :)
over. All the more reason to keep improving and looking for another opportunity to run a workshop!I've prepared what I think is a pretty awesome info board for tonight's session on Teen Pregnancy. My intention is to give a "reality check" to those youth who may view pregnancy and raising a child as something that would be "fun" or "something to do". The board draws attention to three main things:
1) that having a baby changes your whole life;
2) that babies are expensive and;
3) that it's hard to pay for a baby when you and/or your partner haven't yet finished high school, or if you're relying on Governmental support to get you through.
A disclaimer, just in case: In no way am I trying to negate the positive aspects of parenthood, nor am I demeaning those who have had children when they were teens. As usual, I am trying to educate about the realities involved with having a child.
I still need to put together the actual activity board, but I wanted to share this info board with you!
Thanks for your support!
Candice :)
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Babies Having Babies ...
Based on the title, you can probably guess (if you haven't read previous posts or don't remember) - tomorrow's 
workshop is about Teen Pregnancy. It's also the FINAL session of my workshop - an adventure which has flown by and developed into far more than I could have imagined!
As is the case with all of my workshop sessions, the information I present tomorrow will be both practical and relevant to my audience. I don't see any point in standing in front of them and spouting random, irrelevant knowledge that won't help them in their lives. Instead, I am going to focus on helping them figure out how to apply what I talk about to their own lives. Maybe one of them will walk away thinking "Wow, I am not ready to be a parent yet." Fingers crossed!
As I've already stated, this workshop has grown into far more than I could have imagined. I'm incredibly thrilled with how well everything has gone, and very proud of the youth who have been part of the sessions.
What I have now is a very comprehensive and widely applicable workshop which can be edited and tailored to a variety of audiences. Running my workshop at the OYC has given me a chance to step back and evaluate every aspect of it; yes, I will definitely make a few changes before I run it again. However, I have worked hard to build a strong foundation, and it will continue to get better!
Even though my workshop is ending, I will be continuing to post regularly. There is SO MUCH going on in the world of sexual health education! Also, don't forget to check out the other pages of this site!
Thanks for tuning in!
Candice :)
workshop is about Teen Pregnancy. It's also the FINAL session of my workshop - an adventure which has flown by and developed into far more than I could have imagined!As is the case with all of my workshop sessions, the information I present tomorrow will be both practical and relevant to my audience. I don't see any point in standing in front of them and spouting random, irrelevant knowledge that won't help them in their lives. Instead, I am going to focus on helping them figure out how to apply what I talk about to their own lives. Maybe one of them will walk away thinking "Wow, I am not ready to be a parent yet." Fingers crossed!
As I've already stated, this workshop has grown into far more than I could have imagined. I'm incredibly thrilled with how well everything has gone, and very proud of the youth who have been part of the sessions.
What I have now is a very comprehensive and widely applicable workshop which can be edited and tailored to a variety of audiences. Running my workshop at the OYC has given me a chance to step back and evaluate every aspect of it; yes, I will definitely make a few changes before I run it again. However, I have worked hard to build a strong foundation, and it will continue to get better!
Even though my workshop is ending, I will be continuing to post regularly. There is SO MUCH going on in the world of sexual health education! Also, don't forget to check out the other pages of this site!
- Contact me (Candice)
- All about my workshop!
- Useful resources and links
- About me!
- Support my efforts to educate!
Thanks for tuning in!
Candice :)
Friday, May 7, 2010
Let's be clear ...
As I mentioned in my previous post, this week's workshop was focused on the topic of Communication - specifically in the context of interpersonal (intimate) relationships. It was an interesting and challenging week; five new youth for a total of twelve and some interesting group dynamics made for a different session than I am used to.
I think that the challenge of managing this week's group while presenting the material in a clear and understandable way was a really good thing. Being continually challenged ensures that I am also continually thinking, e.g. "How would I revise this next time?". I have the opportunity to assess what is working well and what I would like to change, which is certainly important when developing any sort of program.
Yesterday I attended a conference with two others from the Youth Centre; it was a leadership and equity conference focused on GLBTQ students in high schools. There were approximately 150 students, teachers and allies in attendance and we were there as community supporters and to provide information about the OYC as well as my workshop. The other two tables were occupied by an RN from Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit and PFLAG, of which I am a proud ally member. It was an interesting experience, and I would liken it to the proverbial "small fish, big pond" scenario. I met some really great people and exchanged a few business cards and I enjoyed the opportunity to be there.
Since this is National Youth Week, the OYC hosted a BBQ last night. The hot dogs were absolutely delicious and the OYC was the busiest I have ever seen it. What a successful week!
Coming up next week: Teen Pregnancy!
Ciao for now,
Candice
I think that the challenge of managing this week's group while presenting the material in a clear and understandable way was a really good thing. Being continually challenged ensures that I am also continually thinking, e.g. "How would I revise this next time?". I have the opportunity to assess what is working well and what I would like to change, which is certainly important when developing any sort of program.
Yesterday I attended a conference with two others from the Youth Centre; it was a leadership and equity conference focused on GLBTQ students in high schools. There were approximately 150 students, teachers and allies in attendance and we were there as community supporters and to provide information about the OYC as well as my workshop. The other two tables were occupied by an RN from Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit and PFLAG, of which I am a proud ally member. It was an interesting experience, and I would liken it to the proverbial "small fish, big pond" scenario. I met some really great people and exchanged a few business cards and I enjoyed the opportunity to be there.
Since this is National Youth Week, the OYC hosted a BBQ last night. The hot dogs were absolutely delicious and the OYC was the busiest I have ever seen it. What a successful week!
Coming up next week: Teen Pregnancy!
Ciao for now,
Candice
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
More than words ...
Tomorrow night's workshop is all about communication.
In planning this session, I've come to the conclusion that it would be very easy to put together an entire workshop (6, 8, 10 weeks) about communication all by itself. There are so many things to think about and I've had to make some tough decisions about where to focus my attention and what I think will most benefit the youth. I've decided to focus on the basics ... the components of communication (what you say, how you say it, body language), I-statements, and miscommunication.
What we say only accounts for 7% of the message we send. More than anything, it's our tone of voice and body language that we use to communicate with others ... how we say it, and how we act when we say it. That's what I want to impress upon the youth. There will be plenty of role-playing, role-modeling, and discussion, and my good friend Scott will be assisting me with this session. I'm really looking forward to it!
In planning this session, I've come to the conclusion that it would be very easy to put together an entire workshop (6, 8, 10 weeks) about communication all by itself. There are so many things to think about and I've had to make some tough decisions about where to focus my attention and what I think will most benefit the youth. I've decided to focus on the basics ... the components of communication (what you say, how you say it, body language), I-statements, and miscommunication.
What we say only accounts for 7% of the message we send. More than anything, it's our tone of voice and body language that we use to communicate with others ... how we say it, and how we act when we say it. That's what I want to impress upon the youth. There will be plenty of role-playing, role-modeling, and discussion, and my good friend Scott will be assisting me with this session. I'm really looking forward to it!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)