By Owen Brine “You will never discover new oceans unless you have the courage to hoist your sails and set course into the unknown.” As a naval officer, nautical metaphors come naturally to me. And yet, they’ve taken on new meaning during my time as a volunteer hockey coach. Coaching, like commanding a ship, is...Read More

By Chris McCallum, Founder of Truth-Based Sports What is a Game? According to philosopher Bernard Suits (1978), the definition of a game is the common acceptance of unnecessary obstacles. This concept might sound ridiculous – why would anyone accept an inefficient path to achieve random and unnecessary outcomes? Yet, people spend extensive amounts of time...Read More

Where Captain Meets Poet: How Sport Shaped Our Inner Leaders By Ella Hupka and Nicole Bucur Over the summer, the Girls Forward Youth Advisory Council (YAC) participated in a powerful workshop led by Jennifer Johnson, founder of Captains & Poets. Through exploring the “how” and “why” behind our actions, we came to better understand our...Read More

What’s in Your Backpack? By Jennifer Johnson, B.Ed., M.A. As the new school year approaches, most of us picture the backpack filled with books and supplies. But there’s another backpack we carry every day (often unconsciously) filled with our strengths and weakness, thoughts, emotions, habits, and stories. Together, they define our learning edge for the...Read More

By Jennifer Johnson, B.Ed., M.A. You’ve heard of The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz? So, I took the time to read Don Miguel Ruiz JR.’s book The Five Levels of Attachment as I sat on the shoreline last week and what resulted was a reflection on the role of self-awareness in authenticity and how...Read More

By Sally Mancy, M.A. I envision classrooms where learners lead inquiries, present ideas with confidence, solve real-world problems, and reflect on their growth. One day, a student who once feared public speaking may proudly deliver a TED-style talk on a community issue; another, who once struggled with group work, may lead a team in designing...Read More

By Jill McPherson From an early age, I knew I wanted to work with children. I was the child who loved holding babies, the teenager who relished babysitting that parents sought out because their children requested me. I engaged with them, played with them—I was the babysitter my younger self would have wanted. I pursued...Read More

By Bradley Bird At the heart of great schools is one simple but powerful truth: when teachers are engaged – truly engaged – the whole school ecosystem thrives. From stronger student outcomes to healthier culture and sustained innovation, the ripple effects of empowered educators can never be overstated. But this transformation doesn’t happen by accident....Read More

By Julie Peterson, Principal, Woodford House, NZ I have always seen education as the land of opportunity. The role of teacher is narrowly typecast by those who have passed through their classrooms and people don’t realize how varied teaching positions can be. I started out as an English teacher and have had the most diverse...Read More

By Andy Rodford and Jennifer Johnson Why Trust Matters in Leadership Trust is not an abstract ideal; it’s the invisible thread that holds organizations together. Trust influences everything, from relationships to staff morale, stakeholder engagement, community culture, and team dynamics. Research consistently highlights the role of trust as a key factor in organizational effectiveness.  When...Read More