Fostering Peace Skills in Youth Through Representation
In today’s diverse and media-heavy world, the power of representation is greater than ever, particularly for youth. Representation extends beyond visibility and helps teach youth valuable life skills. Media representation refers to how the media portrays groups or individuals with different characteristics. It refers to how some aspects such as gender, age, ethnicity, physical ability, […]
Using the Enneagram as a Tool for Empathy
I’ve never had much interest in personality tests, until I was introduced to the Enneagram of Personality by a close friend (and former TREE facilitator!) around five years ago. Since then, it’s something that I reflect on often as a way to have a deeper understanding of myself and to have a stronger understanding of […]
Why We Should Actively Listen to Others
Actively listening to others is an essential skill that can benefit both the listener and the speaker. Active listening involves not only hearing what someone is saying but also paying attention to their body language, tone of voice, and overall message. Let’s explore some reasons why active listening is so important. Firstly, active listening builds […]
Celebrating Pride: Book List for Children and Youth
June is Pride Month! While we at TREE affirm and celebrate the 2SLGBTQIA+ community all year round, this is a special opportunity for us to celebrate and affirm the importance of recognizing queer identities. We are committed to supporting 2SLGBTQIA+ youth in our community! This non-exhaustive book list has been curated to highlight stories that […]
Peace Activities for the Teenage Years
Welcome to the final instalment of our July Peace Activities series features three peace activities for teens. Featuring some of our favourite TREE activities, this guide is designed for older children or teens, age 13+ to try at home. Of course, you know your family best, so feel free to adapt these activities to their […]
Peace Activities For The Middle Years
Welcome to Part 2 of our July Blog Series! This month we are exploring different peace-based activities that you can do from home, adapted from some of our favourite TREE activities. These three activities are designed for children in middle elementary school, ages 10-12. Of course, you know your child best! Feel free to adapt […]
Peace Activities For The Early Years
This summer is probably looking a bit different than expected, with camps, trips, and adventures being put on hold while we continue to navigate social distancing the best we can. Children can keep on learning through play and dialogue, even with these new safety measures Each TREE Classroom program includes take-home activities for families, designed […]
TREE’s Summer Reading List
Summer is here! Whether we’re spending more time outside in backyards, on balconies, in parks, or at the beach, a book is always a good companion, especially when we’re physical distancing! We carefully choose the stories we read in TREE workshops, because we know the right book can create a space to encourage young people […]
Creating Spaces for Inclusive Conversations
To be inclusive means to welcome and accept others, not in spite of their identity, but with all aspects of their identity celebrated; this means people of different cultures, sexual orientations, races, religious beliefs, genders, socioeconomic statuses, abilities, family structures, immigration statuses, and educational background, to name a few. Creating atmospheres of inclusion in our […]
Setting Boundaries for Healthy Conversations
Being able to change the subject mid-conversation is really more of an art than anything else; being able to redirect a conversation is useful and powerful. No matter how gracefully you might be able to change the subject, there are some topics that come up again and again that you might not be in the […]
