In this blog post, Ontario educator, Uthish Ganesh, discusses how he set the foundation for the deep and complex subject matter in the African Diaspora course by focusing the first unit on building community, centering an equity approach and creating space for identity affirming activities. This process created necessary space to explore the layers of identity and its interplay with society and build bridges of commonality, understanding and empathy between students of all backgrounds. 

Dear Friend of Facing History, 

This workshop engages students in creating poetry through reflecting on personal connections to place. Stories and history are everything- they are how we understand the world around us and our experiences. Now more than ever we are forced to think about the spaces we inhabit. While we may be losing a sense of community, or a sense of self, as we move into physical isolation there remains a way in which we can deepen our thinking about space and belonging.
Look out for tips marked by an asterisk (*) on how to virtually facilitate this interactive poetry workshop.