MONTREAL – Celebrating Black History Month while gaining real world experience is something Nathan Gage, a teacher at James Lyng High School in Saint-Henri, is proud of.
His Grade 9 students proposed hosting an exhibit to commemorate influential figures in history.
They called on everyone from artists and professionals to student to participate, but in order to do that, they learned how to harness everyday computer skills for a professional purpose.
“We’ve learned how to create a spreadsheet in Excel, we’ve learned how to create a professional email, and learn how to create a flyer in publisher, all these skills that otherwise might seem abstract,” Gage told Global News.
But, real world experience was not the only reason to put on this exhibit.
For Mykaila Sparkes-Milantes, an aspiring musician, this was about discovering something new about herself.
“Mr. Gage brought out something I didn’t know about: I didn’t know I was good in music. I didn’t know I had something like that,” she said.
For others, like Jimmi Baptiste, a community organizer and artist based in Lachine, this exhibit was a great way to give something back.
“I come from Quartier Saint-Michel, and we didn’t have any of these art shows when I was a kid,” he said.
The exhibit was made possible through a collaboration with Under Pressure, the Montreal graffiti festival.
Melissa Proietti, executive director of the festival, said she believes Black History Month is a great time to bring people together.
“It’s really about building that sense of community with the students and giving them the opportunity to see themselves more involved and more reflected in their school,” she said.
The exhibit will run through March 24 at the James Lyng High School Up Next Gallery.
Comments