NATIONAL has partnered with Captains & Poets, a Canadian organization that is revolutionizing education at home and around the world, to support its brand awareness efforts. Captains & Poets has developed a ground-breaking Kindergarten to Grade 12 program aligned to provincial curriculum that focuses on teaching children to be their true authentic selves and to...Read More

by Jeff Perera Don’t judge, but if you’re like me, you have your phone in your hand more often than not which presents a series of issues – one of which is not being fully in the moment. Between FOMO, constantly checking our emails, and ‘doom scrolling’, staying on top of everything (probably to a...Read More

by Adrian Mack   With the COVID-19 pandemic disrupting business as usual for many schools and school systems around the world, especially in places like the United States, many have considered the implications on students’ social, emotional, and behavioral health. But educators know from experience that trauma is not a new factor in the classroom....Read More

By Adrianna McQuaid Back to school season is here, but there’s nothing familiar or predictable about it. School closures in 2020 affected 1.5 billion students around the world. The ability to navigate the unforeseen, and prepare the students for learning, is more critical than ever. The question is how. School leaders around the globe are...Read More

By Simon Storey You get a powerful impression of the culture of a school as soon as you walk in the door. It’s the little things and those invisible factors that tell you if you are welcome. When I look back on my career as a principal, it’s abundantly clear that we need to continue...Read More

By Karen Papadopoulos As a teacher with the Durham District School Board for 23 years and Head of Library at Dunbarton High School, I am optimistic about the future because kids today are more self-aware and recognize the importance of inclusivity and valuing differences in others than when I started. But high school can be...Read More

By Jan Frolic  I was just recovering from a year-long depression over endless dialogue around #MeToo and toxic masculinity at executive levels when I found myself at my desk, being turned inside-out, watching Christine Blasey Ford testify in the Brett Kavanaugh hearing. I listened intently as she began to turn her life into a circus...Read More

I am Jennifer Johnson, Co-Founder of Captains & Poets and I am so grateful to be connected with our growing community of #educators, #parents and #leaders. As a parent, a former educator, an entrepreneur and a passionate changemaker, I want all kids to be empowered and to thrive as they navigate the complexities of identity and life. My M.A. in Curriculum, Teaching...Read More

I am Jan Frolic, Co-Founder of Captains & Poets and SVP at Women of Influence Worldwide Inc., and I am so happy to finally introduce myself to our growing community of educators, parents and leaders. During my 7 years in the gender equity space, I saw that the conversation around equity, diversity, belonging and inclusion really needed to start happening earlier....Read More

“Stressed and overwhelmed!” That’s how 10-year-old Owen* says he’s feeling, amidst the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Ontario. When asked if there’s anything that would help him feel better, he replies: “COVID being over. I feel like it’s never going to end.” A few weeks after being told by the police that he...Read More