BrainBoost Education
240 - 3355 West Broadway V6R2B1 Vancouver, BC, Canada

Do you have any clothing, linens, blankets, sleeping bags, towels or outerwear around the house that you're ready to pay forward to a new home? The Vancouver Downtown Eastside pop-up holiday store, run by Employ to Power, is looking for items for its annual holiday market, which offers a departmental shopping experience free of charge to residents of the downtown eastside. Learn more about how you can help at the article below:

Check out this collage Peter put together of the amazing #inktober2020 contributions from students and staff over the past month. Thanks to everyone who tried their hand at the annual prompt challenge and sent their work in. We've had so much fun marvelling at these wonderful works of art. Until next year, #inktober!

"Many adults with autism have a hard time finding a job, but more companies are discovering the unique skills and potential people with autism offer." On 60 Minutes, Anderson Cooper provides important awareness on the subject of Autism in the workplace, highlighting opportunities where individuals on the Autism spectrum succeed, thrive and flourish in a number of different industries. Watch the segment at the link below!

"There really is no need to cure children with autism, or to apologize on their behalf, or to change them. All you need to do is listen to them with your heart." October is Community Inclusion Month in BC, a time to celebrate the diversity of our communities and recognize the need to protect and celebrate the rights and contributions of those with intellectual disabilities. In honour of Inclusion Month, read this beautiful and raw open letter in the New York Times by Australian author Madeleine Ryan. Ryan herself is Autistic, and she urges parents to celebrate their child's uniqueness and tendency towards truth.

Today is Orange Shirt Day, a day in which we recognize and reflect on Canada's Residential School System and the abuse and injustice it inflicted on Indigenous communities from coast to coast. It's also a time for us to advocate for true and lasting reconciliation. We can all participate in one another's education. It's important to raise up Indigenous voices and stories, and to also engage in difficult conversations with friends and family about Canada's history of mistreatment of Indigenous peoples. Who will you be learning from or teaching on #OrangeShirtDay?

A big part of learning about the experiences and struggles of marginalized groups is rooted in "unlearning." We need to confront the biases, preconceived notions and internalized racism perpetuated by a system with these failings woven into its very fabric and foundation. We can do this by having the often difficult conversations on these topics at home, with our friends and, importantly, in the classroom. It's of the outmost importance to consult with marginalized communitie...s and learn from them directly, first-hand, about their experiences and what we all can do to build a society that protects and raises up its most vulnerable, especially BIPOC and LGBTQ2S+ individuals. Donna, head of our Indigenous learning program, watches these videos with her students to educate them on the Black Lives Matter cause in Vancouver, Canada and beyond: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qKaO_5R1Cs8&feature=youtu.be and https://www.nationalobserver.com//sandy-hudson-black-lives. She also shares this spoken word piece with her learners: https://www.ted.com//marc_bamuthi_joseph_you_have_the_rite. Art teacher Peter has been exploring this collection of works by Black artists curated by Arts & Culture: https://artsandculture.google.com//black-history-and-cultu English and Economics 12 teacher Curtis began a discussion on the current movement within the framework of their class theme, "The History of Inequality." The class mainly took time to listen to the POCs in the group about their experiences and viewpoints on #BLM and beyond. He also recommends the story "Recitatif" by Toni Morrison as a piece of literature to begin or advance conversations with readers both young and old. What resources have you engaged with that have helped you unlearn aspects of internalized racism? #BlackLivesMatter

Check out this uplifting story about two teens who started a grocery delivery service for their grandparents and other seniors in their community, inspiring over a dozen other chapters in other towns and cities! Stay safe everyone.

There are still two days left to sponsor a salmon via the @pacificsalmonfoundation and win one of our amazing prizes from sponsors Longliner Seafoods, Cartems Donuts, Colony Entertainment District, BCLions, Terra Breads Earnest Ice Cream and Kids Books! Visit www.sponsorasalmon.ca to enter!

While Salmon Day 2020 is on hold and students can't be involved hands-on in the raising of our salmonids, this website has great worksheets, experiments and resources to learn about all things salmon. http://www.salmonidsintheclassroom.ca/plans.html Be sure to check out the Sponsor a Salmon contest which runs until the end of April. You can donate at www.sponsorasalmon.ca and be entered to win some of our great prizes.

Today is Autism Awareness Day! Read this wonderful piece by CBC BC Municipalities Reporter Justin McElroy on his experiences with ASD, from growing up to becoming an established journalist for Canada's national news agency, and on the importance of raising awareness.

Dear Families, The coronavirus COVID-19 is impacting the world in unprecedented ways - we hope that all of you are well and keeping safe. There is no question that this is a time of great uncertainty. We are dealing with public measures most of us have not seen in our lifetime and we are all called on to share in the global responsibility to protect the public health. We want to assure you that the team at BrainBoost is wholeheartedly committed to providing the students and... you with educational stability and seamless access to continuity of learning once Spring Break ends. We are well positioned and ready to move all booked programming to a virtual space with video and sound (depending on your preference). Many of our educators are experienced in delivering virtual sessions as they have previously worked with students who were out of the country or otherwise unable to attend BrainBoost in person. Our educator team will be supported by the Case Managers and HR to ensure consistency and quality of service. BrainBoost remains committed to providing students with the best education services available. We are in contact with DL Schools and are keeping up-to-date with all Public Health and Ministry of Education communication. We will do all we possibly can to support your child in maintaining their engagement with learning, curiosity and the relationship they have built with their educator. Our students are uniquely positioned to experience as little disruption as possible to their education experience and goals. Given current public health recommendations, we expect to be physically closed starting March 30th and ready to deliver all of our regular educational programming to students online. If for whatever reason you think that your child will want to either increase or decrease their scheduled programming please contact us to discuss. We are available every day throughout Spring Break to work with you to ensure that education remains a priority in your child’s life during this time. Please contact your Case Manager Jessy ([email protected]) or Chris ([email protected]) if you have any questions. We are thinking of all of you and wishing you and yours health and wellness. Take care of yourselves and one another. Sincerely, Everyone at BrainBoost

SALMON DAY 2020 PROMO VIDEO! Check out the work our amazing students have been doing and consider sponsoring one of our little buddies through www.sponsorasalmon.ca via the Pacific Salmon Foundation!

In anticipation of Salmon Day later this month, you can head online and sponsor one of our little chums via www.sponsorasalmon.ca in support of the Pacific Salmon Foundation. You could win a prize from one of our amazing sponsors, including KidsBooks, The BC Lions, Earnest Ice Cream, Discover Dogs, Longliner Seafoods, Cactus Club, and Colony Bar, Kitsilano!

"To equip young people to face the challenges of the 21st century, they need to understand their minds and bodies." Read this article from The Guardian on the importance of teaching wellbeingsomething we feel strongly about here at BrainBoost.

If you come to the front desk, you'll notice a small display with a donation box for sleeping bags and related items. The BB community is looking to help out an organization called the Westside Anglicans Neighbourhood Ministry (https://neighbourhoodministry.com/). This organization hands out food and other supplies to the people who live on the streets of Vancouver’s West Side. They are currently looking for donations of synthetic sleeping bags and sleeping mats. If you have any sleeping bags or mats at home that are no longer in use, please consider bringing them with you to donate on your next visit!