CONNECTION Ridgeway’s Project of Heart

BY LISA DALLA VECCHIA COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER

Project of Heart is an inquirybased, hands-on, collaborative, intergenerational, artistic journey of seeking truth about the history of Indigenous peoples in Canada.

Teacher Sarah Mazzei was keen to launch Project of Heart with students and staff on the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. “A lot more people know the truth now, but this is going beyond education about residential schools and their legacy,” explained Sarah. “This is about taking physical action and doing something concrete that will provide others an opportunity to continue talking about the true history of Canada.”

Sarah and Education Assistant Gail Baker, together with the administration team of Jillian Gordon and Dean Yeo, shared the idea with the Ridgeway Indigenous Education team who were enthusiastic to make it happen. Every Ridgeway student learned about residential schools and their legacy on National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. After a gradeappropriate classroom discussion, each student was given a wooden tile to work on.

Each student contributed a finished tile, whether it was a student in Kindergarten colouring a tile orange or a student in Grade 6 or 7 focusing on an image or a word that symbolized reconciliation for them. “It was like taking all our hopes for reconciliation and bringing them together into one piece of art, a conversation starter,” Sarah shared.

Once all the tiles were completed, Teacher Janae Chiu made the circular wood frame and thoughtfully placed the tiles along the frame, bringing the project to life.

Carpenter Ross Davidson then made the frame that would support the art and plexiglass cover and allow it to be hung in a prominent place in the school.

“Each year, we want to push forward and do a little more for reconciliation,“ said Sarah. ■