Building belonging

At the Ottawa Catholic School Board, DEI measures ensure all students feel welcome

 

 

The Ottawa Catholic School Board ensures their students feel welcome and a sense of belonging, says its superintendent of leadership and parent engagement.

“They are really our clients,” says Prince Ehoro of the Ottawa Catholic School Board (OCSB). “We need to make sure that their voices are heard.”

The OCSB takes a strategic approach to Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI) using its 2024-2027 EDI Framework — a map of where they are going and how to get there.

“Embedding equity into classroom teaching and discussions is essential,” says Ehoro. “We collaborate with principals and staff to ensure this happens while also addressing cases of racism. We also need buy-in from our teachers,” he adds.

At the same time, the OCSB has expanded outreach to the community, which Ehoro says helps foster conversations on how to stop racism, anti-Black, anti-Asian, homophobic slurs and all forms of hate.

Celebrating the diverse cultures in schools is important, says Ehoro. The OCSB fosters awareness and meaningful dialogue by celebrating significant days and months, including Orange Shirt Day and Black History Month. Ehoro adds that these observances help promote understanding and appreciation of differences. The board also collaborates with parent groups, recognizing the importance of these conversations in building an inclusive community.

“There is always an ongoing conversation that begins with the dignity of the human being, which is one of our Catholic social teachings,” says Ehoro. “Every individual deserves respect and inclusion.”

Students play a vital role in driving these discussions, with their voices helping to shape interactions with the community and advocating for the changes they want to see. The OCSB has various student affinity associations in all 16 of its high schools.

As equity consultant with the OCSB, Jolly-Béatrice Toussaint’s job is wide-ranging.

“My focus is mainly on supporting school staff with professional learning,” says Toussaint. “That includes presentations on topics ranging from bias awareness, microaggressions, addressing harmful language, racism, and homophobia to name a few. We also present and facilitate sessions for students to make sure we create and have those safer, more inclusive spaces to hold those challenging conversations.”

She also facilitates conversations with families to deal with a variety of issues. She ensures staff and students know that they can reach out to her or anyone on the team.

“When we do presentations or visit schools, it’s an important part of our roles,” says Toussaint. “Students and staff have to feel safe to share their feelings and concerns.” Toussaint says it is getting better. “Sometimes it is just recognizing that there is an issue,” she says, “and then starting to figure out how to deal with it.”

She says the training that staff receive helps them in their own school and shows them how to have conversations about race and identity. “I’ve noticed more of an uptake from students. They are speaking up about what they need and having those conversations about diversity, equity and inclusion,” says Toussaint. “Our principals and vice-principals reach out for support and guidance. They share about what they’ve already done to address issues and ask about what more they can do. People are learning, they are applying the knowledge and having those important conversations.”

At Conseil des écoles catholiques du Centre-Est, the board starts diversity, equity and inclusion education in kindergarten, says Étienne Parenteau, safe and accepting school principal. “The sooner you start, the better and we make sure that parents are aware of the areas we are dealing with,” he says, adding that it’s often about educating the parents as well.

The Conseil des écoles catholiques du Centre-Est (CECCE) also works with the University of Ottawa and their V-Track lab that works with their Black students.

Parenteau says the schools have events that focus on key issues, like Black History Month, International Human Rights Day, Red Shirt Day and Global Accessibility Awareness Day. Last year, his team created a guide for students who identified as transgendered and bisexual. That team has also worked with outside organizations with the goal of promoting respect for these students and place guidelines for their safety, Parenteau says, describing a presentation for students in Grades 4 to 8 called Intention vs. Impact which has proven effective.

“It shows our students the impact of being mean and how it affects other students,” says Parenteau. “It’s all about acceptance and having an open mind and putting in that effort to make it work,” he says.

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