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At St. Elizabeth Catholic High School in Thornhill, students recently participated in the school’s annual Heartbeat Days, a unique program that teaches them about the current social issues facing youth today. This teacher-driven initiative was designed to provide students with opportunities to receive practical, hands-on information from a variety of organizations throughout the community. The program has been so successful that Heartbeat Days have been an integral part of the Religion Department at St. Elizabeth for over 15 years!
Each semester, over a period of two days, the Religion Department teachers invite various organizations from the community to share their knowledge and expertise with students in their classes. These theme-based presentations directly correspond with the curriculum in each grade level.
Over the years, the school has been fortunate enough to welcome organizations, such as Covenant House, L’Arche Daybreak, Engineers Without Borders, Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG), Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), Right to Life, Salt and Light Catholic Media Foundation, Youth Speak, TLC Pregnancy Centre, Yellow Brick House, Rose of Sharon, Free the Children and various other organizations. In addition, students also attended presentations from representatives of different faith communities, as well as got in touch with their inner selves during yoga, Tai Chi and meditation sessions.
"Heartbeat Days give students the opportunity to learn from experts in their respective fields,” said Camille Matthews, a Religion teacher at St. Elizabeth.
From the start, this teacher-driven initiative was designed to provide St. Elizabeth’s students with opportunities to receive practical information regarding various social issues affecting today’s youth.
"Heartbeat Days give students opportunities to learn from different learning styles, such as audio, visual and kinesthetic, “said Sina Fazzolari a Religion teacher at the school.
Repeatedly, students have expressed their gratitude for these opportunities to expand their learning experiences beyond “the textbook”.
"Heartbeat Days give us more information and make us more aware of our surroundings and what's happening in our societies,” said Grade 10 student Angelyn Manalo.
"They inform us,” said Grade 10 student Minoo Khatami. “For example, I thought the only reason that teenagers run away is that they have struggles with their families, however, I learned that there are other reasons such as abuse, financial problems, mental illnesses and many others."
On the same note, Heartbeat Days’ presenters have also been grateful for the chance to connect directly with young adults to provide them with the necessary tools to make informative life decisions.
One of the school’s latest speakers was Marina Nemat, acclaimed author of “Prisoner of Tehran” and “After Tehran: Life Reclaimed.” Ms. Nemat astounded the students with her heartbreaking memoir of her life as a prisoner in Iran. Her journey of faith and redemption is an inspiration to all.
St. Elizabeth CHS staff hope to continue with the Heartbeat initiative, and provide students with diverse learning experiences that broaden their perspectives and challenge their thinking.