A class project initiated by a group of exceptional Grade 10 students from St. Francis Xavier High School eventually evolved into a comprehensive social justice campaign. The unwavering commitment and hard work put in by these students will have a positive impact on the lives of children in our city long after they graduate.
Students – Ella, Federica, Noah, and Raya’s Religion class required them to address a pressing social issue, and they chose to tackle the problem of abuse and violence toward children and youth. With a wealth of creativity, these students crafted a captivating children’s book entitled “Home is Where Love Grows,” which used metaphors to introduce the sensitive issue in an age-appropriate manner. The story beautifully chronicles the friendship between two characters, Max and Quincy, who inhabit a world where everyone has flowers growing out of their heads. Quincy observes that Max’s plant is wilting and takes several measures to help him feel better.
The students not only accomplished success in creating positive change but also gained valuable practical experience in publishing, fundraising, and promotion. Nowadays, employers are seeking students who possess a global mindset, are team players, collaborators, critical thinkers, and possess strong oral and communication skills. This is the reason why the OCSB has implemented its Deep Learning framework across all grades, and this project is an excellent example of how Deep Learning can be applied in real-world scenarios.
The team tried to expand the reach of the book’s message by creating both French and English versions. They also designed discussion questions meant to help parents or teachers continue the conversation thoughtfully. Additionally, they enlisted Federica’s younger sister, Aurora, to illustrate the book, and her artistic talents truly shine through on every page.
As a culmination of their project, the students visited City Hall and presented the initial version of their book at the Youth Action Showcase. Impressed by their hard work, the Youth Ottawa staff extended a summer partnership to them through the Youth Ottawa ACI program. This opportunity allowed the students to refine the book even further and produce some prototype copies with the hopes of having it available in libraries across the city one day.
Despite completing the classwork and moving on to another grade level, these four students continue to dedicate time to work on the book outside of school. At this point, the initiative has grown from a class project to a passion project. As Noah explained, “The positive feedback and the number of people that said, ‘I love your story,’ really motivated our group and made us want to keep doing this.”
The authors are actively seeking funding options to publish additional copies of their book and exploring ways to promote it further. They have participated in various interviews and presented to staff in the OCSB Intermediate/Secondary Student Success department. So far, over 200 copies have been published, and many of them will soon be available in OCSB elementary school libraries.