Thursday, September 16, 2021

Edmonton teacher named educator in residence at Canadian Museum for Human Rights


The classroom of an Edmonton teacher is expanding Canada-wide as she steps into her role as the educator in residence with the Canadian Museum for Human Rights (CMHR).
© Provided by Edmonton Journal
Sarah Adomako-Ansah is the new educator in residence with the Canadian Museum for Human Rights in Winnipeg.

Sarah Adomako-Ansah joins the Winnipeg-based museum virtually and she said her biggest goal is to support teachers in navigating conversations surrounding anti-racism and human rights.

“For some people it’s a really tough topic to talk about at an age-appropriate level with students,” the 32-year-old told Postmedia. “So, by helping create student workshops, and teacher workshops and virtual field trips for those who don’t live in Winnipeg, the goal is to help teachers navigate that.”

Adomako-Ansah said to get the job she had to put forward a project proposal that is currently being fine-tuned into a final proposal and then she will be making student materials and teacher resources. She added there will be a range of reading materials and interactive activities available for students with a focus on combatting racism.

“It’s important to me because our world naturally is so diverse and we see and live amongst people that don’t look like us, that do look like us, that identify the same way we do and it’s important students have those skills to communicate and live in harmony with everybody,” said Adomako-Ansah. “I think kids are growing up in this world and they’re going to be the ones leading the charge at some point in their lives, so it’s important for them to know how to work amongst others.”

The Edmonton-based teacher has taught at St. Pius X elementary school for eight years.

The COVID-19 pandemic increased the demand for virtual field trips at the CMHR, where a guide takes them through the galleries in real time with some interactive opportunities along the way. More than 17,000 students, 8,000 from Alberta, went on the museum’s virtual field trip during the 2020-21 school year.

Adomako-Ansah said the online resources like the virtual field trips will allow her to reach more students and she thinks it’s important to reach each province.

“Being able to reach different groups of students and different classes throughout the country is really going to help the same message be spread across the country about diversity, human rights, anti-racism and being that the CMHR is one of Canada’s six national museums, I do think that it’s important the message is consistent across the country,” she said.

Growing up, Adomako-Ansah said she didn’t have a person of colour at the front of one of her classrooms until she was in Grade 9. She said representation matters and she hopes she was able to be that teacher some of her students could relate to and she hopes students continue to feel represented in the work she does at the CMHR.

“That’s my hope. That’s my true and honest goal at the end of the day just for students to feel represented, and seen and validated in everything that they’re doing,” she said.

No comments:

Post a Comment