DARPAN SPOTLIGHT
“There is the idea of giving kids a mirror, but we also need to provide them with windows of other worlds they don’t know about. As Canadians, we share so much in common. One community’s struggle is everyone’s struggle and our freedoms are interconnected,” says teacher Harman Pandher.
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hey say that teaching is the profession that teaches all other professions. Surrey school teacher, Harman Pandher, does just that and much more in his classroom. The Burnaby resident was recently recognized for his efforts in the 2021 B.C. Multiculturalism and Anti-Racism Awards for building bridges between communities. Pandher was born in Vancouver and attended the University of British Columbia to become a teacher. With 20 years of experience under his belt, he now not only teaches all subjects to his Grade 5 class at Beaver Creek Elementary,
but also teaches Punjabi at his school. Alongside academics, Pandher’s mission is to promote diversity and multiculturalism to youth. He served on the Board of Directors of the Burnaby Multicultural Society, which, for many years, was the flagship organization for multicultural issues and the creation of cultural awareness. In addition, Pandher went on to co-found two organizations. Through SONG (Seeking Oneness for the Next Generation), a creative mentorship association, Pandher mentors youth by fostering their involvement in the arts. “At its core, SONG
HARMAN PANDHER TELLING UNTOLD STORIES By Mrinalini Sundar is about bringing youth together from diverse backgrounds and using their talent in the community for good causes,” says Pandher. Pandher then went on to launch SACH (South Asian Community Hub), which is a non-profit community organization providing integrated one-stop services for those impacted by alcohol and substance use, and mental health issues. Promoting the well-being of diverse communities in Surrey and around the province, the organization strives to fight systematic racism by breaking barriers around accessing services for underserved communities with racial barriers. Pandher further explains, “This is not just limited to the South Asian community. We are seeing this model achieve success for First Nations and other cultural communities as well. We just need to be culturally sensitive and speak to people in their language.” Outside of his work with various organizations, Pandher also writes – but not without cause. His latest project is a children’s picture book, Gurpreet Goes to Gurdwara: Understanding the Sikh Place of Worship, which portrays the story of a young boy who learns
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MAY | JUNE 2021
Reflecting The South-Asian Lifestyle
DARPAN
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