Unity and positive change: the focus of two events successfully hosted at École Olds High School
École Olds High School staff and students are still enjoying the positive energy they created for themselves and many others last week, when they hosted two major events successfully.
About 54 students from across Canada were on campus for the UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) national student conference from May 6 to 8. Also, on May 8 the school hosted a United Sports Tournament, under the umbrella of the Special Olympics organization, with approximately 50 athletes from schools in the Central Alberta region attending.
“There has been an undeniable buzz in the building all week,” says Meaghan Reist, Principal of Olds High, “and the incredible energy was because staff and students came together to make things happen. There was not a spot in our school that was untouched by culture, truth, inclusion and welcome, or where a student wouldn’t learn something incredibly valuable moving forward.”
“We brought these two events together intentionally thinking of the bigger picture, the global impact, and what differences each individual can make,” says Reist. “With both events we worked to help students consider how they might have a positive impact in their own community.
Reist says,“We hope this challenges them about how they see each other, and to choose to see the value each person brings. There is huge potential in students for positive action, and we hope all of our visitors and our ÉOHS students and staff walk away from the week and spread the goodness around.”
UNESCO conference sparks change
Olds High School is one of about 130 UNESCO schools in Canada. Schools in the UNESCO network work to support the UNESCO mission through local, national and international projects with global citizenship education, education for sustainable development and climate action, and Indigenous education and reconciliation.
The 2025 UNESCO student conference focused on the themes: Human Rights and Respect for the Land - “Be the Change”.
Sessions over the three days included:
- Wetlands walk with Indigenous Knowledge Keeper Clare Butterfly
- Drum circle, and Indian sitar player
- Keynote speaker: Bertrand Bickersteth discussing supporting human rights
- How to be an ally
- Using art for social change
- Anxiety and the power of art
- Bee keeping
- Minecraft - games for change
- Fast fashion
- Repair cafe - focused on upcycling old clothing, furniture, etc. to promote sustainability
- A performance by New Blood - a musical / dance performance focused on truth and reconciliation
- Speaker Cory Johnson - a man with Cerebral Palsy who has overcome many obstacles in life and is a national award winning athlete
- Participation in the Unified Sports Tournament
The conference theme of ‘be the change’ was very fitting, according to students.
“I feel absolutely transformed. I am leaving this experience a different person than I used to be,” says Keiara L, an ÉOHS student. “This conference has been life changing. The growth I’ve seen in myself is exciting. I am becoming the leader the room needs.”
Keiara was on the student planning committee. She says, “I’ve been in leadership classes at school since Grade 5. This year, and through planning this conference, I’ve grown my leadership skills. I’ve learned that I can step back and not control everything. I can support others as they lead, and still feel confident that the work gets done and gets done well. This experience makes me feel ready to face the world. I am feeling optimistic about the change I want to see, and I am ready to take on some challenges. We are the change makers.”
Rhiannon D. also feels changed by the event. “I joined the conference leadership group at the last minute, but I’m so glad I did,” says Rhiannon. “I think the Creator wanted me to find this opportunity. My introverted self was challenged. Teachers have encouraged me for a long time to share my thoughts, but I always backed away. During the conference I learned that getting up and talking to others is not as hard as I thought it was. I learned I have a lot more potential than I thought I did.”
The highlight of the conference program for Rhiannon was the performance by New Blood. “As a Metis person, I felt it completely,” she says.
Keiara also enjoyed the New Blood performance, as well as connecting with students from across Canada who are as passionate about social change as she is. “I loved that we all came here wanting to learn. When we had discussions, they often continued outside of the session we were in because we were so excited about what we were saying. The conversations were so authentic.”
Keiara says being a part of the UNESCO student organizing committee was fun, and she says, “I learned that planning a conference is a lot of work, but at the end of the day it is worth it.”
The staff supervisor of the conference, and guide to the student planning committee was Bev Toews, Academic Coach at ÉOHS.
“I am feeling awesome about how this conference turned out,” says Toews. “People came and immediately made connections with each other, and people who hadn’t known each other before were soon having bubbly conversations. That was heartwarming,” she says.
“Our UNESCO network has been strengthened, students will leave with lots of ideas they can implement, and our ÉOHS students were successful at leading. All of those results are exciting to me,” says Toews.
Mona Kiame, the UNESCO Associated Schools Network National Coordinator, says ÉOHS did a great job of hosting the conference.
“This is a special school. You can feel it and see it, and it extends far beyond the building itself. The way that the people here tend to the needs of students comes from the bottom up. Teachers model and educate the students inside and outside of the classroom. They take their students on a journey that helps them discover who they are. Knowing who you are makes you a good citizen,” she says.
“We want our youth to become who they are meant to be, and choose to deliver on the promises they make to themselves and to others,” says Kiame.
Unified Sports Tournament unites and celebrates student athletes
This is the first time a school in Chinook’s Edge has hosted a Unified Sports Tournament, an event organized under the umbrella of the Special Olympics. Schools send pairs of athletes made up of students who could qualify as Special Olympians, and a same-aged peer from their own school. The pairs participate in some athletic events - choosing whether they would like to be in a competitive or non-competitive stream.
The idea to host the tournament came last year, after several students from ÉOHS attended a Unified Tournament in Eckville, Alberta. Lenaya N. and Maira M. decided they wanted to bring the energy and inclusive spirit of the event to their own school this year.
“We could see how the athletes and community came together,” says Maira M. “We felt proud to be a part of celebrating diversity, and to see students who might not otherwise have a chance to participate have that opportunity.”
In September 2024, students in the leadership class were each challenged to choose a passion project. Maira and Lenaya, with the help of fellow Grade 12 students Hannah Z. and Danika B., and two Grade 10 students chose to work together to plan and host their own Unified Sports tournament.
Almost 50 athletes attended from: ÉOHS, Sundre High School, Bowden Grandview School, Innisfail High School, Didsbury High School, David Thompson High School, Eckville School, and Trochu Valley School.
“It was great having the people come up to us and tell us they were having fun,” says Danika B. “We were enjoying ourselves too, but seeing them excited was awesome. And then the athletes would come up to the table and tell me when they had won. That was my favorite part.”
“It was super exciting when all the athletes came running through the doors,” says Hannah Z. “Being there to cheer them on was so nice to see.” Hannah adds, “I’ve learned how much work needs to go into planning an event. In the future I know I can help organize events, and plan and get involved. This has motivated me.”
The students all agreed that they especially enjoyed seeing the student athletes that they spent so much time with in younger grades get to have their moment in the spotlight.
“We are graduating this year and we spent all these years going through school together. Because we are in different classes we don’t always see each other as much any more. We thought how much fun it would be to celebrate our friends,” says Lenaya N. “And it has been a day full of celebration. I loved when they came in, watching their smiles and happiness while everyone cheered.”
“I am so proud to come from this school,” says Maira, “where diversity is celebrated so much. I love that our school cares so much.”
Jamie-Dee Marshall, an ÉOHS teacher who worked with the student organizers, says, “I’ve loved watching their energy, and watching the investment they have.” She says the group worked well with each other’s strengths and “tapped into their own skills.”
“Our goal was to help students and staff see and feel the joy of inclusion,” says Marshall, “and why we work so hard to embrace it.”
Marshall says she has watched the students on the planning committee move through lower grades and into high school, as she also moved schools in her role. It has given her a birds eye view watching them develop. “Seeing them so invested in each other is absolute magic,” she says. “It’s been inspiring. As a community we are woven together with inclusion, diversity and joy. It’s awesome.”
A huge thank you!
Leaders at École Olds High School recognize that events like this require significant effort.
Principal Meaghan Reist says, “As the week has drawn to a close, we are feeling a joy-filled exhaustion, the ripple of these impactful events, and we are extremely grateful. Thank you so much to all of the people who put in hours of effort and heart into the work that made these events possible. Current staff members and students, retirees, substitute teachers and community members all worked together. Our community truly stepped up to make this happen. Thank you to each of you!”