Sharing Our Cultures™ creates spaces for the voices, cultures, histories, and experiences of all children and youth to be heard, seen, and valued.
À la découverte de nos cultures crée des espaces où les voix, les cultures, les histoires et les expériences de tous les enfants et les jeunes sont entendues, vues et valorisées.
Land Acknowledgement
It is with profound respect that we acknowledge the lands on which we reside as the traditional territories of diverse Indigenous groups. We acknowledge the island of Ktaqmkuk (Newfoundland) as the unceded, traditional territory of the Beothuk and the Mi'kmaq. We acknowledge Labrador as the traditional and ancestral homelands of the Inuit of Nunatsiavut and NunatuKavut, and the Innu of Nitassinan. As we open our hearts and minds to the past, we commit ourselves to working together in a spirit of truth and reconciliation.
Sharing Our Cultures is committed to building positive relationships between Indigenous, newcomers, and non-Indigenous youth.
Proclamation signed by Honourable Christopher Mitchelmore, Minister for Advanced Education, Skills and Labour, Government of Newfoundland and Labrador.
Hon. Christopher Mitchelmore and Dr. Lloydetta Quaicoe during the signing of the Proclamation for March as Multiculturalism Month in Newfoundland and Labrador.
Hon. Mitchelmore signs the Proclamation for March as Multiculturalism Month in Newfoundland and Labrador.
Proclamation witnessed by Dr. Lloydetta Quaicoe and members of the Sharing Our Cultures Youth Advisory Committee. L-R: Yan Hoi Jacqueline Wong, Lloydetta Quaicoe, Minister Mitchelmore, Omnia Khamis, Ming Chun Adrian Ng.
Photo credit : Alick Tsui
In celebration of the 20th-year anniversary of Sharing Our Cultures (2019), the Provincial Government affirms the importance of diversity and intercultural understanding in Newfoundland and Labrador. Financial assistance was provided by the Department of Advanced Education, Skills and Labour. This video was produced by the Centre for Innovation in Teaching and Learning at Memorial University.
À l’occasion du 20e anniversaire du projet « À la découverte de nos cultures » (2019), le gouvernement provincial affirme l’importance de la diversité et de la compréhension interculturelle à Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador. Le ministère de l’Enseignement postsecondaire, des Compétences et du Travail a fourni une aide financière. Le Centre for Innovation in Teaching and Learning de l’Université Memorial a produit la vidé
Our Vision
Our vision is to connect culturally diverse school youth, foster belonging and acceptance among all school children, be relevant within the schools and province, and contribute towards an inclusive and cohesive society.
Notre vision consiste à rapprocher les jeunes d’âge scolaire issus de diverses cultures; à favoriser un sentiment d’appartenance et d’acceptation chez tous les enfants et les jeunes d’âge scolaire; à apporter une contribution pertinente au système scolaire et à la province; et à aider à bâtir une société inclusive et cohésive au Canada.
Since 1999, Sharing Our Cultures has provided opportunities for intercultural experiential learning to school children and youth.
School youth from Indigenous communities, such as Conne River, Makkovik, Natuashish, Nunatsiavut, and Sheshatshiu have travelled to St. John’s to share their diverse cultures.
In 2018, the Sharing Our Cultures event was livestreamed to 45 schools throughout the province.
In 2017, Sharing Our Cultures brought school youth from Kugluktuk, Nunavut, to share their Copper Inuit culture at the three-day event in St. John’s. Newcomer school youth, representing seven countries, travelled to Kugluktuk to share their diverse cultures and experience the Copper Inuit culture. On route to Kugluktuk both groups stayed in Ottawa and witnessed a session in Parliament. This exchange was designed to foster intercultural learning and friendships between Indigenous and newcomer school youth.
Since 2010, Cultural Con‘txt’, a publication of stories, poems, and drawings by culturally diverse students has been distributed twice a year to Grade six students in the province. These submissions by Grade six students encourage discussions in the classrooms and homes about the value of cultural diversity in Canada.
In 2005, SOC launched a rural component by taking school youth from St. John’s to share their cultures with rural schools. The youth interacted with local families, toured communities, and learned about rural cultures. Communities visited were Bay Roberts, Clarenville, Clarke’s Beach, Bonavista, Marystown, Old Perlican, Port Rexton, Random Island, and Swift Current.
Our programs connect culturally diverse school youth and foster acceptance and belonging.
1. Our programs support the delivery of several provincial curriculum outcomes, including Social Studies, Language Arts, French, and Religion.
2. Are you a high school student? Would you like to share your culture with the public and Grade six students at The Rooms?
3. Are you a Grade six student? You can send your story, poem, or drawing about your culture to Cultural Con‘txt’.
4. They offer experiential intercultural learning.
Everyone has a culture, what’s yours? Volunteer to share your culture with the public and Grade six students.
Be a volunteer “tour guide.” We need English-speaking and French-speaking high school students to volunteer as “tour guides” to Grade six students when they visit The Rooms during the Sharing Our Cultures school events.
All high school participants (cultural presenters and “tour guides”) gain volunteer experience and volunteer hours.
All adult volunteers are required to undergo screening, training, and appropriate police checks.
