Maple Ridge Secondary students host social justice fair

Hundreds of people came out to Maple Ridge Secondary’s (MRSS) second annual social justice fair last month to visit student display booths and participate in interactive activities.

The fair was put on by Grade 12 students taking the social justice course and Grade 11 students in the English First Peoples course. Some students from Thomas Haney Secondary also participated in the event on February 16.

“It was a resounding success,” said MRSS teacher Douglas Jackson, who organized the fair alongside teacher Maria Trudeau.

More than 500 people attended the fair, including students, teachers, administrators, trustees, district leadership, and local politicians.

“It was remarkable and inspiring to see almost half the MRSS school community engaged and sharing conversations about social justice and Indigenous education,” Trudeau said.

Students were tasked with choosing a social justice issue they found interesting or important, researching to learn more about it, and creating display booths with their findings to educate attendees.

A wide range of topics were chosen, including violence against Indigenous women and girls, drinking water crises in Indigenous communities, men’s mental health stigma, medical malpractice towards women, the overdose crisis, and equity vs. equality.

The half-day event took over the MRSS library, with more than 50 students showing off their colourful display boards and presenting their findings to visitors.

“We were thrilled that our social justice and English First Peoples students really thrived,” said Jackson. “They showed their passion for social change and their potential to be leaders in our community.”

View photos from the fair below: