Local Government Week aims to increase youth and public awareness about the important role local government plays in our communities. Please join OPSBA, our member trustees and our education partners in raising civic awareness and promoting the role of trustees among Ontario students. We’re encouraging all trustees to follow their board protocols in contacting local principals to arrange classroom visits with Grade 5 Social Studies and Grade 10 Civics students to discuss the important democratic role of a school board trustee. Please keep in mind that some students will have their Civics classes in semester 2 and you could book your time now for a visit in the next semester.
OPSBA has created resources to facilitate your classroom sessions, including a Word document and a short PowerPoint presentation. Common information includes:
- Facts and figures
- A brief history of the role of trustees
- Why trustees matter
- The “rules” of school in Ontario
- The legislated responsibilities of a school board and its trustees
- A brief outline of the people in a school board
- Questions and discussion points for you to consider
- Questions and discussion points for you to ask the class
OPSBA created a local government week kit and a powerpoint presentation template in a manner that allows you to modify them for use in either a Grade 5 or 10 classroom and to add local board information.
Be inspired about what you do locally and how it impacts your students and community. Check out the following story that appeared in the Toronto Star (December 2014) that demonstrated the role of a school board trustee: Secret life of a trustee: Behind the scenes, school board reps are busy putting out fires
And don’t forget the Public Service Announcements created for the 2014 Municipal and School Board Elections:
Connect with your board staff responsible for communications and governance as they may have additional documents, information and/or video to help with your presentation. Other useful resources include:
- Good Governance: A Guide for Trustees, School Boards, Directors of Education and Communities
- Making a Difference for Kids: Running for Election as a School Board Trustee
The Twitter hashtag for Local Government Week is #LGWOnt.
