Enlighten us, but make it quick!

I attended Ignite Mississauga on May 1, 2013 with 25 students and two fellow teachers. Ignite events take place in over 100 cities around the world. At Ignite events, presenters share their personal and professional passions in short 5 minute presentations.

The presentations were fascinating, each only 5 minutes long. Ignite is really a mini TED -talks. It's an event for geeks. And as a math/science teacher, I relish in conscious geekdom.

The messages of three speakers spoke to my heart.

The first speaker described the concept of "shadeism". Shadeism is descrimination that exists between the lighter-skinned and darker-skinned members of the same community. I lived abroad for a number of years and work in a multicultural school, so equity and inclusivity is an everyday reality. But still it's hard to comprehend that a single community can actively work at excluding its own members.

A second stand-out presentation involved a young man practicing 22 acts of kindness for his 22nd birthday, giving acts of kindness rather than receiving them. The video is breathtaking, well cut, with an amazing soundtrack. It is effective at highlighting generosity and heartfelt gifts. I played the video for my classes and as we spent time discussing acts of kindness, I could feel the atmosphere in the room soften.

The last remarkable presentation highlighted that Peel Region is a human trafficking hotspot in Canada. Peel Regional Police Detective David van Allen said of the 60 human trafficking cases that have been reported in Canada, 31 have been Peel police investigations. Constable Jim Zucchero, who investigates human trafficking for Peel OPP, said pimps use Highway 401 and the QEW to move women from Windsor up through Montreal. And since human trafficking victims are high school age, ranging from 12 to 22,  I find that I spend more time reflecting on the choices some of my personally "adopted" students take, and further the consequences that these choices may have on their future.

That's it. Five minutes can change your life.

Information
More about shadeism here: http://shadeism.com/, http://vimeo.com/16210769

Random Acts of Kindness video by searching "22 Random Acts of Kindness" on Youtube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wskG18saKk0)

Read about Human Trafficking in Peel Region here: http://www.mississauga.com/news/article/1349888--i-d-like-to-see-the-mayor-sitting-at-that-table