Show Notes
A classroom can cover identity, family diversity, privilege, racism, and systemic barriers and still feel safe, but only if we build the conditions on purpose. We’re kicking off Season 5 with a conversation that gets real about what equity, diversity, inclusion, and belonging look like in Ontario Family Studies classrooms when the lesson plan meets real students, real communities, and real fear of “saying the wrong thing.” We are joined by Shafiq Aziz from Harmony Movement, an ...
More from What the Family Studies?
Money advice is everywhere, yet so many of us still feel stressed, avoid our bank accounts, or repeat habits we promised we would stop. We sit down with Canadian money expert Jessica Morehouse, certified financial counsellor, podcast host, and author of Everything But Money, to talk about the side of personal finance that rarely gets taught: behaviour, emotions, and the stories we absorb about money long before we earn our first paycheque. We dig into why traditional financial literacy...
Your closet isn’t just personal style, it’s a supply chain, a set of climate impacts, and a story about how we learn to consume. We sit down with Dara Gellman, Youth Education Program Leader at Fashion Takes Action, to talk about sustainable fashion in schools and why fashion literacy belongs in family studies, home economics, and beyond. If you’ve ever wanted to teach fast fashion, textile waste, and climate change without making students feel judged for what they wear, this conversation giv...
A school food program doesn’t have to start with a big budget, a greenhouse, or a perfect plan. We’re joined by Carolyn Webb from Farm to Cafeteria Canada to talk about the small, practical moves that make food literacy come alive in Canadian schools, especially in Family Studies and foods classrooms where students are ready to learn by doing. We unpack Farm to Cafeteria Canada’s four pillars (grow, connect, fund, inform) and what they look like on the ground: windowsill growing, sprouts, hy...
What if nutrition class sparked confidence instead of calorie anxiety? We sit down with Denise Hamburger, founder of the non-profit organization Be Real USA, to explore how schools can replace diet culture with body-inclusive, research-based teaching that actually helps students thrive. From early childhood influences to social media’s pressure cooker, we map out a clearer path: skills over shame, curiosity over control, and self-compassion over self-criticism. Together we unpack two free cu...
Curiosity can shift a classroom, but access transforms it. We sit down with Kelly Daynard, executive director of Farm and Food Care Ontario, to unpack how family studies educators can move beyond food myths and give students a clear view of Canadian agriculture. From anxiety about additives to confusion over animal welfare and biotechnology, we trace why fears grow when fewer Canadians live on farms—and how direct farmer voices change the conversation. We walk through practical tools you can...