The province needs to begin ensuring students are graduating ready for citizenship and the workforce It’s everyone’s favourite time of year in Alberta: not only was there a recent provincial budget, but we’re also just three months out from the spring election. So naturally, keyboards are clacking away in corporate boardrooms and C-suites across the…
Schools must avoid the equally misguided extremes of zero-tolerance policies and permissive idealism
Saunders Secondary School in London, Ont., is home to approximately 2,000 students. It’s been in the news a lot lately, but not in a good way. A recent CBC story quoted an anonymous teacher who described Saunders as a “tinderbox of violence” where students regularly challenge teachers to fist fights after school. Over the last six…
U of A business professor teams up with Edmonton school in project to teach students how to turn ideas into successful ventures
One path to a diversified economy is exposing people to entrepreneurship, according to a University of Alberta professor who is partnering with a local high school to pilot an entrepreneurship program. “If you want to diversify the economy, starting in college with this kind of education is too late,” said Michael Lounsbury, professor and Canada Research…
Ignorance is the surest path to misunderstanding. And if it’s not addressed, misunderstanding quickly descends into intolerance
“Amen and awoman.” This was how a U.S. congressman concluded a prayer recently in the House of Representatives. No doubt he meant to be inclusive of both men and women. However, he sounded ridiculous. That’s because the word “amen” comes from Hebrew and means “so be it.” Amen has nothing to do with gender. This…
Foreign students spent about $23.6 billion in Canada last year and much of that income will be lost as a result of COVID-19
Some industries are obvious victims of the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting economic downturn. Everybody knows that businesses in the travel and hospitality sector, especially at the international level, have taken a serious if not lethal blow. Even with government aid, airlines, cruise ships, hotels and tourist attractions will have great difficulty rebuilding and even…
Young people are getting hooked on vaping, despite the many unknowns. We need to develop effective counter programs before it's too late
In 1973, the band Brownsville Station released the song Smokin’ in the Boys Room. At the time, nearly half of Canadian adults and teens smoked. Reports had been coming out for years about the dangers of tobacco use but smoking was still seen as a cool thing to do. Over the next several decades, the…
How do you deal with unhappiness at work? You find meaning and value in what you do
A recent study said 47 per cent of Canadians are unhappy in their jobs. Many cite lack of pay as the main reason but it’s not the only factor. Many find the work environment difficult or say their work lacks meaning. Of course, leaving a job isn’t necessarily a good thing. It can take significant…
When youth take a political stand, it’s inspiring. History is full of such amazing and courageous young people
Nelson Mandela said, “There can be no keener revelation of a society’s soul than the way it treats its children.” American news and social media were recently stirred up by a video of children meeting with Sen. Dianne Feinstein. The video went viral. The children represented a youth organization known as the Sunrise Movement, which…
CTE isn’t just a pro football Issue; college and high school players are also at risk, and the damage can be life-altering
Most people associate chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a progressive brain disease caused by repetitive brain trauma, with professional football – specifically retired Canadian Football League and National Football League players. But CTE is more than a pro football issue. While the Boston University CTE Center has discovered CTE in the brains of 110 of 111…
Given the high degree of uncertainty about the next few years, here are a few tips to help you retain at least a semblance of sanity as you look to your future
“And now go, and make interesting mistakes, make amazing mistakes, make glorious and fantastic mistakes. Break rules. Leave the world more interesting for your being here,” author Neil Gaiman wrote. I’ve been enjoying all the pictures of grad celebrations popping up on social media lately. It’s graduation time – spirits are high and the winds of…