Name: Parenting Matters Conference
Start: 2023-10-11T09:00:00-06:00
End: 2023-10-11T15:30:00-06:00

Tanis Shanks

Tanis Shanks is from Saskatoon, SK located in beautiful Treaty 6 territory. Tanis is a mom, wife, daughter, and social worker. Currently, Tanis is the Director of Wellbeing Services for Whitecap Dakota First Nation (WDFN), overseeing the development and delivery of prevention programs. Services include a family support program, youth and community programs, cultural programming, and post majority care services. WDFN is also working towards taking over jurisdiction of child welfare and will become the first self-governing First Nation in Saskatchewan on September 1, 2023.

Tanis has a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Saskatchewan, majoring in Indigenous studies (2005), as well as a Bachelor of Social Work (2010) and Master of Social Work (2017) from the University of Regina. Tanis wrote her thesis on a parenting program that uses a children’s rights perspective.

Tanis has been a social worker for 13 years and has experience in front-line prevention programming, anti-poverty work, parenting education, program development, and training. Tanis also has experience in community development and project management. Implementing a rights-based lens, whether human rights or children’s rights, has been at the forefront of Tanis’s practice.

“The true measure of any society can be found in how it treats its most vulnerable members.” – Mahatma Gandhi

Kelleen Blouin

Kelleen Blouin is a Métis woman, mother, and grandmother. She was called to the drum at about 30 years old after attending a hoop dance performance with her children. When Kelleen heard the beat of the drum and saw the dancers dancing, she was moved with emotion.

Life’s journey led Kelleen to a teaching position in the local hoop troupe, where she has been involved for over 20 years. Kelleen did not know the dance and was taught by the children, and this has become an instrumental part of her teachings. As they say, “the children shall lead us”. Kelleen has taken on the name of Granny Willow. Being a grandmother is her greatest gift, and the willow is the first hoop in hoop dancing.

Granny Willow’s teachings include the medicine wheel, the Circle of Life, reasons behind the hoop dance, animal meanings for the seven sacred teachings, and the importance of Truth and Reconciliation. She ends her teaching with the Hoop Dancing Teachings for the children.

Granny Willow says that to hoop dance is to step outside of yourself, and to become stronger, more knowledgeable, and more beautiful than that first step into the Circle of Life. She says that after her first step into the hoop, she knew her life would be changed for the better and she wants children, youth, and beyond to have the opportunity of living “the good life” too.

With her passion for hoop dancing and supporting communities, Granny Willow teaches weekly hoop troupes and travels to schools, care homes, and cultural gatherings to teach hoop. She strives to build up our youth and to remind them they can live the good life and become what they put their minds to. Kelleen shares her Granny Willow journey on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube using hoops (glow-in-the-dark and light-up), storytelling, and puppets as her mediums.

Implementing Children’s Rights for Better Outcomes for Young People

Dr. Lisa Broda will speak on the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, its general principles, and its application to all matters and services impacting children at the national, provincial, and local levels. It will highlight how the child rights framework entitles children to special care and assistance, and how it can be used as a tool to ensure all children are healthy, safe, have their voice heard, and grow to their fullest potential. Through her presentation, participants will also learn about the office of the Advocate for Children and Youth and how it can assist children, families, and service providers in accessing public services that meet the best interests of children.

Children’s Rights: Head, Heart, Hand Experiential Learning

Experiential learning is the process of reflecting on and learning from our experiences. This session will focus on what we have learned (head), what we have felt (heart), and what skills and strategies we can use (hands) from the conference to promote and honour children’s rights.

Connie Herman

As the Provincial Coordinator for the Nobody’s Perfect Parent Program, Connie Herman is passionate about supporting parents, families, and communities. Based out of the Saskatchewan Prevention Institute, Connie provides training, resource development, and support to service providers who work with parents and families. She has a Bachelor’s of Arts and Social Work, and is a trained facilitator in numerous programs and frameworks, including Nobody’s Perfect, Self-Reg, Parent Coaching, Positive Discipline, Kids Have Stress Too, and Healthy Start. As a mom to two children, Connie recognizes that parenting is one of the most rewarding, most important, and also the most challenging jobs there is.

Jackie Eaton

Jackie is the Community Action Program for Children (CAPC) Training and Education Coordinator for the Saskatchewan Prevention Institute. She received her Bachelor of Education from the University of Saskatchewan. Jackie is responsible for resource development and organizing trainings, presentations, and workshops to support the work of CAPC Projects throughout Saskatchewan. Being the mother of three children, along with experience in the field of education, fuels Jackie’s passion for supporting parenting education.

Exploring Ways We Honour and Promote Children’s Rights

The Sacred Tree framework will be introduced and used to help participants reflect on how their personal and professional values, strengths, challenges, and goals interconnect with children’s rights.

Dr. Lisa Broda

Dr. Lisa Broda brings nearly 30 years of experience working in senior leadership roles within government, community engagement, and research. She has worked and researched extensively in the fields of children’s rights, children exposed to violence and suicide, and intimate partner and domestic violence. In her role as Saskatchewan Advocate for Children and Youth, Dr. Broda works collaboratively with children and youth, families, ministries, First Nations and Métis governments, and other stakeholders to improve outcomes for young people. She embraces the Truth and Reconciliation Calls to Action and the principles of reconciliation in her work and the work of the Advocate’s Office. Dr. Broda also sits as current President of the Canadian Council of Child and Youth Advocates, an association of legislated child advocates across Canada working to identify national issues and address areas of mutual concern.

Honouring Article 31: The Child’s Right to Play

Article 31 of the 1989 United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child Declaration of Children’s Rights is “the right of the child to rest and leisure, to engage in play and recreational activities appropriate to the age of the child and to participate freely in cultural life and the arts.” This presentation will outline the significance of play, the seriousness of play deprivation, and the forces that threaten play. We will follow the story of Article 31 and explore research, action components, and proposed methods for increasing care for play and supporting children to exercise their rights in the local context.

Supporting Children’s Outdoor and Risky Play: Why It’s Important Now More Than Ever

Research is clear on the importance of regular and repeated access to outdoor and risky play opportunities in childhood. As such, play is outlined as a child’s right in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. Despite the known benefits of outdoor play, children in Canada are spending less time outdoors today. This presentation explores the importance of outdoor and risky play on children’s health, development, and well-being, and the important role that adults play in facilitating this form of play. With a focus on a child’s right to play, this presentation will also highlight examples from the field and promising practices to support children’s outdoor and risky play.

“We have the Right to Play” - Empowering Children through Play Hall

In the spring of 2022 the Playful Learning Pilot Project began at St. Agnes School in Moose Jaw, SK. This session shares the story of growth, evolution, and understanding of the Rights of the Child through a grass-roots experience aptly named by the PreK – Grade2 children of St. Agnes School as “Play Hall.” Through this experience, children had the opportunity to develop social-emotional skills, advocate for themselves and others, and co-exist in a safe and joyful environment.

Cassidy Evans

Cassidy Evans is an energetic 15-year-old girl with a zest for life! What you won’t be able to see is that she is battling Cystic Fibrosis, a rare genetic disease that she was born with but was only diagnosed in 2012 when she was 4 years old. Since then, she has taken this devastating diagnosis as an opportunity to hope and advocate for a cure. In 2013 she started Cassidy’s Lemonade Stand which, to date, has raised over $125,000 for Cystic Fibrosis Canada research and awareness. Her passion and hard work together with her mom Kimberly, are an inspiration to those around her as she fights to find a cure for not only herself but the 4,300 Canadians bravely battling this disease alongside her. She’s living proof that great change can come when you choose to turn lemons into lemonade! Cassidy’s Lemonade Stand has been featured in the National Cystic Fibrosis Connections Magazine, newspapers and radio stations across the country, and locally on CTV News, CBC News, and CBC Radio for their philanthropic efforts. You can follow her journey at cassidyslemonadestand.com.

Kimberly Evans

Kimberly Evans is a fun-loving gal with a contagious laugh and a joyful spirit. With a background in Business, Marketing, and Event Planning, she has created hundreds of exceptional events, campaigns, and marketing projects and prides herself on her attention to detail. She is the owner of Joy PR Studio, offering PR, marketing, and social media support to small businesses and is the host of The Joy Curator Podcast as a published author and speaker. She is the past president of the Cystic Fibrosis Canada North Saskatchewan Chapter in Saskatoon and is the Saskatchewan Provincial Advocate for Cystic Fibrosis Canada. She is the proud mom of Cassidy, 15, and Lucia, 12. Together, they operate Cassidy’s Lemonade Stand to bring awareness and raise funds for Cystic Fibrosis Canada through their famous freshly squeezed lemonade. She proudly shares her story of resilience to inspire others to share their stories to create change.

Laura Adrian

Grew up on an acreage, south of the #1 highway. She spent her childhood outdoors and playing with her younger sister. Laura completed her B.Ed. in 2010 and began teaching Grade 1 in Bienfait, SK. She later moved to Moose Jaw and taught Kindergarten for five years while completing her M.Ed. in Early Learning from UBC. She is now a mom to two, early learners Max (6) and Anna (3). She works as a Learning Facilitator for the Holy Trinity School Division where she is an advocate for play-responsive education.

Kaelyn Turberfield

Kaelyn grew up in the small town of Wynyard, Saskatchewan. She moved to the big city of Regina to complete her Bachelor of Education before moving to Moose Jaw to work with Holy Trinity Catholic Schools in an Early Childhood Intervention program. She met her husband in the division, so they made Moose Jaw home. They are now parents to three busy little humans, Rylee (7), Jett (4), and Rowan (2). Kaelyn completed her Masters in Education in an Early Childhood cohort from Western University and she is currently working towards her Certificate in Extended Studies in Early Childhood at the University of Regina. She is the Grade 3/4 teacher at St. Agnes and a constantly evolving educator who learns so much from her classroom kiddos every single day!

Deanna Gallipeau

Deanna grew up in Moose Jaw, SK. Her fondest childhood memories are spending hours outdoors crafting endless garden potions. She completed her Bachelor of Education at the University of Regina in 2014. Immediately following this, Deanna started teaching Prekindergarten in Holy Trinity School Division. Deanna’s passion for play-based learning led her to continue her education in Extended Studies in Early Childhood Education through the University of Regina. When Deanna made the shift into a Grade 2 classroom, she developed a fierce advocacy for children’s rights and engaged citizenship. Deanna is currently teaching Grade 1 at Sacred Heart Community School in Regina.

Whitney Blaisdell

Whitney Blaisdell is an award-winning PhD student in the Faculty of Education at the University of Regina. She is a former public school teacher, current Co-Chair of the Regina and Area Early Childhood Network, and a member of the Canadian Association for Young Children. She is the Executive Director of Project Play YQR, a non-profit organization founded around her graduate research. Whitney consults on urban planning play projects, currently working with a development company to make space for teenage girls in play space design. Her doctoral research involves working alongside children and community members to co-create child-friendly and ecocritical urban prairie cities.

Rachel Ramsden

Rachel is a Research Coordinator at the Play Outside Lab (www.playoutsideubc.ca) and a PhD candidate in the School of Population and Public Health at the University of British Columbia (UBC). Working with Dr. Mariana Brussoni, Rachel leads research projects in BC and across Canada that aim to support children’s outdoor and risky play. Rachel has a particular interest in prioritizing children’s voices in research and working with communities to support children’s outdoor play in the early years. Rachel previously worked in recreation, community planning, and child care roles, and holds a Masters degree in Public Health (2016) and a Bachelors of Kinesiology (2013).

Lyndon Linklater

Lyndon Linklater is a traditional Knowledge Keeper and Storyteller. He has an educational background in Indian Social Work, Indian Studies, and some law. He is a citizen of the Thunderchild First Nation (Plains Cree) in Treaty 6 and has roots in Couchiching First Nation (Fort Francis, Ontario) in Treaty 3.

Presently, Lyndon shares work with the Remai Modern Art Museum in Saskatoon as their Indigenous Relations Advisor, providing advice to their Board and staff and delivering cultural programming. Lyndon is the longest serving member of the Office of the Treaty Commissioner’s Speakers’ Bureau, since he was appointed in 2000. Over the years, he has spoken to tens of thousands of people, delivering awareness and enlightenment on Treaty and First Nation worldview.

Lyndon is a powerful storyteller who utilizes First Nation teachings that involve knowledge of ceremonies and mixes humour to deliver a poignant message.

Logan LeBlanc

Logan (Yogi Logi) is a dad, a school teacher, and a forever student of yoga on a journey to inspire more joy, unity, and power into the hearts of communities. His class is a warm, welcoming space accessible to all ages and abilities with a balance between stillness/motion, sound/silence, and seriousness/silliness. Yogi Logi has been guiding K-12 students through time and space with breath, movement, laughter, and play with Vinyasa Yoga for Youth since 2017. He has created some kids’ empowerment programming (Inner Ninja class) with a focus on emotional intelligence, self-regulation, and inner confidence that was offered in 2019. Logan has experience teaching Mindfulness to K-12 students and has completed four certificates with the Mindful Schools Organization over the years: Mindfulness Fundamentals, Mindful Educator Essentials, Difficult Emotions, and Mindful Communication. He also has experience with all ages as a Certified Laughter Yoga Leader.

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Parenting Matters Conference

October 11, 2023 @ 9:00 am. - 3:30 pm.

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