Be Canada’s Next Upstander
How have you used your strengths to take a stand for human rights?
We want to hear! You could win a trip to the Museum and be featured on our website. Be Canada’s Next Upstander is a new opportunity for young Canadians to share how they’re becoming an upstander for human rights in their community.
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Video: Every word, every gesture counts
Ten students from across Canada will be selected by a jury to visit the Museum with a parent or guardian during a student showcase at the Museum in May 2020. The trip includes airfare for two, three nights’ accommodation and transportation while in Winnipeg.
You could also be featured on our website, alongside other upstanders.
If you're a student in Grades 5 to 8 and you've participated in the Museum’s newest online program called “Be an Upstander”, you're eligible to win!
We invite you to write a short reflection about your experience in the program and how you have come to be an upstander for human rights. Your reflection will help other students understand how they can be upstanders too. Your teacher has until March 1, 2020 to submit your reflection.
What is a reflection?
In 200 to 400 words (about three paragraphs), tell us what you learned during the “Be an Upstander” program.
Be sure to include:
- • An injustice you see in your world and its connection to human rights
- • How you shared your knowledge with others
- • How you used your personal strengths take a stand
- • Two or three images of your project and/or action
How to enter
Take up the challenge to recognize injustice and to use your strengths to create change by developing a “Be an Upstander” project.
You’ll learn more about how to create a project by checking out the online program with your teacher.
Reflect on what you learned during the “Be an Upstander” project.
Know – What knowledge did you gain about a human rights injustice? How did this knowledge change your perspective? What did you learn about other taking a stand against this injustice?
Tell – How did you tell others about the injustice you learned about?
Act – What action did you take? How did you use your strengths?
Work with your teacher to write your reflection.
Save your text and pictures as a single Word, Pages or scanned PDF document.
Be sure to include the following at the top of your document.
- First name and first letter of your last name
- City/town and province/territory
- School name
- Teacher name
Ask your teacher to submit your reflection.
Submission deadline: March 1, 2020
Information for teachers
The Museum’s “Be an Upstander” resource is a project‐based learning unit designed to complement the “Be an Upstander” school programs, which are offered both online and onsite. This resource targets students in middle years and encourages inquiry and action on human rights issues. Students examine the traits of human rights upstanders and consider how to follow their examples. By the end of the project, students will have had the opportunity to explore an issue they are personally passionate about, share their knowledge and lead others toward action.
We want to hear what your students are doing to be upstanders so they can inspire other young Canadians to do the same. Ask your students to reflect on their learning during the “Be an Upstander” program and share it with us.
Learn more about how to implement the “Be an Upstander” program in your classroom with our comprehensive Teachers Guide.
Photo: CMHR, Keith Fraser
Wherever you are in Canada, the Museum’s program interpreters are ready talk with your students through our new interactive virtual field trips about what it means to be an upstander.
Photo: CMHR, Colin Corneau
Why share your students’ reflections with us?
Each teacher who submits their students’ reflections will receive a letter of thanks from the Museum’s President and CEO for taking up the challenge of becoming upstanders for human rights.
Ten students from across Canada will be selected to share their projects at the Museum during our student showcase event in May 2020.
Your students could be featured in our online “Be an Upstander” resource.
How to submit
As you complete projects with your class, ask students to share what they’ve learned in the form of a 200– to 400‐word reflective writing piece.
Each student submission should address:
- An injustice students see in their world and its connection to human rights
- How students shared their knowledge with others
- How students used their personal strengths to take a stand
- Two or three images of the project and/or action
Review the terms and conditions.
Teacher responsibilities
As the teacher submitting on behalf of students, you agree to the following:
- I am an educator teaching students in Grades 5 — 8 in Canada.
- I have reviewed the students’ reflections prior to submitting projects on the student’s’ behalf.
- I have advised the students’ parents of the submission and that the student’s’ personal information and reflections will be shared with the Museum.
Note: The Museum recommends that students do not include more personal information than necessary in their submissions. The Museum reserves the right to verify that parental or guardian consent has been obtained. - If a student is selected to be featured and/or participate in the student showcase at the Museum in Winnipeg, Manitoba, I agree to coordinate a first point of contact between the Museum and the selected student’s parent or legal guardian.
Privacy Notice
The collection and use of personal information for this program is authorized by Section 15.3 (1) (h) of the Museums Act and complies with the federal Privacy Act. The personal information collected will be used to evaluate submissions and to contact those selected. Contest submissions will be retained for three years. The Museum will not share any personal information with external third parties without the consent of the student and their parent or legal guardian.
Share student submissions*.
*Each student project will be considered independently
The submission deadline is March 1, 2020.