The students and staff at Ted Harrison School have developed a new program based on the International Genetically Engineered Machines (iGEM) competition at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. iGEM is an annual synthetic biology competition that integrates science with other disciplines and involves teams from around the world. This program gives students the opportunity to  Continue Reading »

The Calgary Board of Education (CBE) Studio Artists in Schools program provides opportunities for local artists to become an Artist in Residence at CBE schools across the city.  One artist who has been working with CBE students had this to say: “The opportunity to be the Studio Artist for Douglasdale School has been nothing short  Continue Reading »

One month following the devastation of the 2013 Calgary flood, EducationMatters received a very welcome phone call from Honens, a foundation dedicated to discovering, nurturing and presenting talented pianists. The organization wanted to give back to the river-banked community of Rideau Park by hosting a benefit concert, with proceeds supporting flood damaged Rideau Park School.  Continue Reading »

Every other year 800 students from schools in the NE ‘Properties’ communities (Whitehorn, Pineridge, Rundle, Monterey Park, and Temple) come together at the Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium for a celebration of fine and performing arts.  Historically, the Properties have had an undeserved negative reputation in Calgary; this event came to be after Properties students expressed  Continue Reading »

  Every year, the Calgary Board of Education holds a system-wide Pow Wow celebrating First Nations, Metis, and Inuit students. When Theresa McDonnell, an Aboriginal Learning Leader, noticed many of her students were missing from the celebration, she discovered they were unable to attend because they did not have the traditional moccasins needed to participate.  Continue Reading »

Tanya Bonham, a kindergarten teacher at Bowcroft School is always on the lookout for new and innovative ways to encourage her students to personalize their learning experiences. She was ecstatic when a former colleague told her about Spark Bikes – a tool the Halifax Board of Education incorporated into elementary classrooms to provide students with  Continue Reading »

The elementary Transitions Program (grades 1-6) at Woodlands School is designed for students who have significant internalizing mental health issues, which severely impact their ability to attend school and/or benefit from a regular classroom placement. The Transitions Program is a collaborative partnership between the Calgary Board of Education (CBE), Alberta Health Services (AHS), and Woods  Continue Reading »

    A playground build, the urban equivalence to a barn rising, was built October 2013 at G.W. Skene School. This rebuild will be a collaborative effort thanks to the KaBOOM! Organization (KaBOOM!), The Foresters Group, and the Calgary Learning Village Collaborative. KaBOOM! is the national non-profit dedicated to giving kids the childhood they deserve  Continue Reading »

  Baby Tales is a unique program specifically tailored to students at Louise Dean School; the main focus is emergent literacy, with the target audience being high-risk adolescent mothers (pregnant or parenting). We recognize that children raised with literacy face fewer challenges as they enter a formal school system. Baby Tales is a weekly, themed-based  Continue Reading »

Alberta is a province with a vast history and prosperous future.  King George Elementary School plans on adding to Alberta’s legacy through the eye of talented young artists. “A Century of Sustainable Living Under the Prairie Sky: A Visual Arts Heritage Project” is an initiative that encourages students to reflect on Alberta’s heritage and sustainable  Continue Reading »