Our Kids Network offering free, online course to enrich Canadians’ understanding and knowledge of Truth and Reconciliation As part of its Indigenous Truth and Reconciliation initiatives, Our Kids Network (OKN) is offering the “4 Seasons of Reconciliation” course to anyone who would like to register. The course is free, self-paced, and offered online. Most people spend two to three hours completing the 10 modules. It’s multi-media and includes 4K videos, readings, quizzes, and a certificate of completion. Well known Canadian Indigenous issues experts and champions contribute to the content, sharing compelling perspectives and stories.
Read the full news release
The latest bulletin from Our Kids Network (OKN) indicates that 37% of young people participating in the Halton Youth Impact Survey had experienced discrimination or unfair treatment. Survey findings also show that 16% percent of children and youth had experienced some form of homelessness at some point in their lives, and 28% were facing some degree of food insecurity.
Read the full news release.
Halton Region, Ontario - Our Kids Network (OKN), a Halton-wide partnership of organizations serving children, youth, and families, announced today that Elisabeth Wells has accepted the position of OKN’s Executive Director, effective November 30, 2022. As interim director, Elisabeth provided strong leadership in continuing to advance the vision and strategic goals of the network. Elisabeth has worked effectively to build and maintain collaborative relationships with community partners to increase engagement and advance OKN’s vision that ‘all children and youth thrive’.
Read the full News Release
This year’s focus is understanding and encouraging a child’s right to participate Halton Region, Ontario – Each year on November 20, Canadians mark National Child Day – a time to recognize that each child in Canada and around the world has basic rights that allow them to survive and thrive. In Halton, Our Kids Network (OKN) marks the day with a reminder that people of all ages play a role in helping children and youth grow to meet their full potential. OKN is a Halton-wide partnership of agencies and organizations serving children, youth, and their families.
This September 30, on Canada’s National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, Our Kids Network (OKN) challenges all Halton residents to commit to learning more about Canada’s Residential Schools and honouring the journey of survivors and the memory of the children who never returned to their families. It’s time to do business differently!
The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation was established in 2021 by the federal government as a direct response to the National Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Call to Action #80, which outlined the need for a commemorative day to honour Survivors, their families, and communities to ensure the legacy of the Residential Schools remains a vital component of the Reconciliation process. In Halton, OKN has been actively involved in developing and supporting several interactive events and programs that create opportunities for residents to engage with and learn about Indigenous culture and history.
Our Kids Network is situated on the Treaty Lands of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation and the Traditional Territory of the Haudenosaunee and the Huron-Wendat peoples. Our Kids Network empathizes with the incredible grief and heartbreak of the families and communities, following the recent announcement confirming the deaths of 97 children at the former Mohawk Institute Residential School (Mohawk Institute) in Brantford, Ontario. This information came through a collaboration with Know History, a professional historical research firm who indicated the 97 children died from illness or injury. We honour the lives of these 97 children and those children who survived.
Read the full statement.
Our Kids Network is excited to release its most recent bulletin related to data collected through the 2021 Halton Youth Impact Survey. The third bulletin focuses on how young people in neighbourhoods across the Region interact with their community, with the aim of exploring the unique characteristics of each area and empowering professionals and organizations in Halton to transform the data into programming and supports that meet the specific needs of the youth they serve. Young people in Halton have a lot to say about the community where they live – and when it comes to their own development and wellbeing, youth have a right to have their voices heard. Read the full news release.
Results from a Halton youth survey show the importance of relationships to well-being and sense of belonging. We consistently see that relationships are associated with positive youth development in many areas such as student motivation, learning, reduced risk behaviours, and other positive behaviours,” said Elisabeth Wells, interim executive director of Our Kids Network, which partnered with UNICEF Canada, the Canadian Index of Wellbeing, Ontario Trillium Foundation and the Medivae Foundation on the project last year.
Read the media story
The Our Kids Network just released the second set of data sheets from their survey of Halton's youth last year. This bulletin covers how youth reported relationships, and belonging. OKN interim executive director Elisabeth Wells spoke about positive relationships being the roots for youth development, in her interview with Halton YourTV. Watch the interview