Category: Education

Woodstein Media Podcast Season Two kicks off with a conversation with Perth-Wellington Liberal candidate, Ashley Fox

Posted on by Colin Burrowes

The first episode features a conversation with Ashley Fox, the Liberal Party candidate for Perth-Wellington. In this conversation, we discuss why a focus on health care is essential for the overall well-being of the province, transportation in rural communities, how the decline in the relation with the United States will affect Canadians at all levels of government, municipal, provincial and federal, how hard reduction should be approached in Ontario and the importance of not only listening to but hearing and acting on concerns raised by students, parents, and educators in the education system.  

A pilgrimage to the streets of Philadelphia

Posted on by Colin Burrowes

A road trip to Philadelphia on Presidents Weekend mixed historical exploration, delectable vegan cuisine, and a thrilling concert experience. The journey included visits to the Mütter Museum, Edgar Allan Poe’s house, Eastern State Penitentiary, indulging in vegan delights and attending an exhilarating concert featuring YDI, Flag of Democracy, and The Dead Milkmen. The trip encapsulated a rich blend of history, culture, and entertainment.

Woodstein Media Podcast Episode 23: Carol Hodge talks about touring, songwriting, influences and collaborations

Posted on by Colin Burrowes

This episode features a conversation with singer-songwriter Carol Hodge. She is a versatile musician living in Yorkshire, UK, who has been performing styles as diverse as the punk sounds of CRASS, which she has been touring with Steve Ignorant since 2011, to introspective pop songs full of intelligence, wit and poignancy delivered with a “cynical optimism.”

Woodstein Media Podcast Episode 21: Sista Patricia discusses the work of Drag Storytime Guardians

Posted on by Colin Burrowes

Since May, a group of concerned citizens known as the Drag Storytime Guardians have supported Drag Story Time and Pride events throughout Southwestern Ontario. At the heart of the guardians is a 70-year-old biker, Sista Patricia, who has been putting what she has learned, marching for the rights of women and the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, into action to protect families and drag queens from far-right fanatics who show up at libraries to protest Drag Story Time.

In this episode, Sista Patricia discusses how she came to be involved with the Guardians, the work they are doing and her thoughts on why the protesters are feeling bold enough to show their hate without regard for how they are perceived in this era.

In a related theme to the main focus of this episode, Woodstein Media also wishes respect and love to the Minneapolis, Minnesota music scene based around the 2SLGBTQIA+ friendly punk music venue Nudieland. Sadly, on August 11, the house venue was the scene of a mass shooting that injured six people and killed one beloved member of the scene, August Golden.

Woodstein Media Podcast Episode 17: United Way’s Kristin Crane discusses living wage, universal basic income, food insecurity and more

Posted on by Colin Burrowes

This episode features a conversation with Kristin Crane, director of Social Research & Planning for United Way Perth Huron, about the living wage, which leapt over $3 from $17. 55 to $20.70 when the most recent calculation was announced in November 2022. The numbers used in this discussion are from the area in which this podcast is produced: Perth and Huron County.

Woodstein Media Podcast Episode Nine: Sam Tecle discusses what the call to Defund the Police means

Posted on by Colin Burrowes

This episode features a conversation with Sam Tecle about what is meant by the call to defund the police. Tecle works with Success Beyond Limits, a collaborative, youth-led, community-based movement providing youth with holistic support to complete their education and experience success in their lives and Jane and Finch Action Against Poverty, a resident-led grassroots coalition of community residents, activists, workers, organizations working to eliminate poverty. He is also an Associate Professor in the Sociology Department at Toronto Metropolitan University. His research and scholarly work span the areas of Black and Diaspora Studies, Urban Studies, and Sociology of Education.

Episode Five: Roshan James talks about deconstructing normality through art and poetry

Posted on by Colin Burrowes

On episode five, artist and poet Roshan James talks about how her creativity has helped her deconstruct societal norms, allowing her to turn everything she was taught on its head and re-examine it to find out what little things might have been true or make sense and could be helpful to carry forward and what things are just the chaff that needs to go into the wind.

Stratford 2SLGBTQIA+ community discuss actions to counter rise in hate-related crimes & incidents: acculturation

Posted on by Colin Burrowes

After homophobic vandalism was discovered at Sirkel Foods in Stratford on the morning of Nov. 1, a meeting was planned at the Stratford Pride Community Centre (SPCC) to allow the community to discuss their feelings, thoughts and fears with representatives from Stratford Police Services, City of Stratford council and the Stratford City Centre Business Improvement Area (BIA).

This is the final installment in a series of articles documenting the discussion of how police investigate hate-motivated incidents and what the city and the public can do to help make the community more welcoming and inclusive for all people.

Stratford 2SLGBTQIA+ community discuss actions to counter rise in hate-related crimes & incidents: education

Posted on by Colin Burrowes

After homophobic vandalism was discovered at Sirkel Foods in Stratford on the morning of Nov. 1, a meeting was planned at the Stratford Pride Community Centre (SPCC) to allow the community to discuss their feelings, thoughts and fears with representatives from Stratford Police Services, the City of Stratford council and the Stratford Downtown Business Improvement Agency.

This is the second in a three-part series of articles which discuss how police investigate hate-motivated incidents and what the city and the public can do to help make the community more welcoming and inclusive for all people.