MHETA - Virtual Varieties! Professional Development Conference Day

Event is FULL - Currently not accepting registrations

FULL - AM1 - A Wellness Workday

Sustaining our resilience as educators can be a challenge during times of change. Based on Dr. Ungar’s research around the world and his clinical practice, this presentation uses examples from his new book Change Your World: The Science of Resilience and the True Path to Success to explore how those who help others can avoid burnout and maintain their own career and life resilience when stressors pile up at home and on the job. Twelve factors that make us more resilient as adults will be discussed, along with practical tools participants can use to find the resources they need to cope successfully in culturally and contextually relevant ways. Using the concepts of navigation and negotiation that are key to understanding resilience in complex, changing environments, audience members will have an opportunity to reflect on their own resilience in life, as well as times at work and at home where they had the resources they needed to succeed. Be prepared for a fast-paced, story-filled presentation that will help you build new personal and social resources.

Presenter: Jake Saurette, RPN (she/her)



During these challenging times, educators are experiencing high rates of stress. Stress impacts us in a variety of ways: physically, mentally, emotionally, and in our work, too. In this presentation, you will learn 3 strategies to help manage stress in your everyday life and on the job.

Jake is a Registered Psychiatric Nurse at Health Sciences Centre, a certified yoga and meditation instructor, and member of HSC's Critical Incident Stress Management team. She is studying for her Masters of Psychiatric Nursing focusing on promoting worker resilience through stress management skills education. She has recently launched her own business, Be Well Unwind, providing stress management education and counseling. Go to www.bewellunwind.ca to learn more.

9:15 am - 11:45 am

Platform: Virtual

FULL - AM2 - Sex Ed Skills

Research consistently shows that youth are asking for comprehensive sex education that validates their experiences and identities. Sex education that meets these needs has the potential to be transformative and lifesaving! Led by an experienced sex ed pro, this session will help you take your sexuality and reproduction units to a whole new level. There will be opportunity to ask questions and additional resources will be provided for individuals looking to deepen their knowledge and skills.

Participants will:
- Explore current nationally and internationally recognized best practices and current approaches in Comprehensive Sex Education.
- Reflect on personal values related to sexuality topics and how these relate to teaching sex education topics.
- Identify opportunities to incorporate current promising practices in comprehensive sex education to Family Studies modules, learning outcomes and topics such as puberty, abstinence, sexual pleasure, STBBI prevention and intervention, options for pregnancy, options for birthing, reproductive anatomy, contraception, sexual orientation, gender identity and more.
- Increased understanding of local resources and issues related to Youth Sexual Health.

Presenter: Erica McNabb (they/them)



Erica McNabb (they / them) is an experienced Sex Educator who has been providing comprehensive sex education for youth since they were in high school. As a Youth Health Educator at Teen Talk, Erica spent over a decade professionally facilitating sexual health workshops and comprehensive training for peer educators in schools and community settings throughout Manitoba. Erica started their own Sex Ed private practice offering sex education Q&A sessions for youth as well as consultation and workshops for educators in 2020. Consultation and booking information can be found on their website, live summer 2021.

9:15 am - 11:45 am

Platform: Virtual

FULL - AM3 - Health and Nutrition Education: A Weight Inclusive Approach

This session will allow you to explore weight bias and internal feelings about weight and physical size as it relates to health and nutrition teaching. Weight-centric approaches are taught in many of our health and education programs, which in reality are not effective and are harmful to the physical and mental well-being of many. We will discuss how to incorporate a weight inclusive health promotion approach in your education classes and explore language that can help students feel more confident with food.

Presenter: Kat Oksanen (she/they)



Kat Oksanen is a Registered Dietitian and a Certified Diabetes Educator. Kat works with the Provincial Eating Disorder Prevention and Recovery Program, and the Health Education Program at Women’s Health Clinic - an inclusive, feminist, community clinic. Kat is passionate about addressing the societal stigma against people of size, reducing the risk of eating disorders, and incorporating a weight inclusive approach into health care practices that acknowledges intersections of systemic oppression.

9:15 am - 11:45 am

Platform: Virtual

FULL - AM5 - Reclaim Mending - Mending 101

This workshop is a 2-hour introduction to clothing repair techniques. We will cover simple, hand-sewing mends, darning, and visible mending, as well as go over more complex mends (such as denim repair) using a machine. These are excellent skills to pass on to your students!

Website: reclaimmending.com
Instagram: @relcaimmending
Facebook: Reclaim Mending

Presenter: Anna-Marie Janzen



Anna-Marie Janzen is the owner and operator of Reclaim Mending, a local business that specializes in clothing repair.

9:15 am - 11:45 am

Platform: Virtual

FULL - AM6 - Fabric Art Compositions

Join Julie as she takes you through her incredible gallery and shares her inspirational journey to create these fibre masterpieces. Then Julie will show some simple techniques that you and your students can practice to become your own fibre master.

Website: juliegarcia.com
Instagram:@jgarciafabricart
Etsy: JulieGarciaFabricArt on Etsy

Presenter: Julie Garcia



Julie is a local Manitoba fibre artist. She creates fabric landscapes and hand-painted fabric from her home studio in the River Heights neighbourhood of Winnipeg. She has a Degree in Human Ecology, majoring in Clothing and Textiles from the University of Manitoba and continues to study a range of fine art and fibre art techniques. Julie has been experimenting in the fibre medium for over twenty years. It was this combination of embroidery with quilting, that moved Julie to experiment and develop her own unique compositions from fabric and thread.





9:15 am - 11:45 am

Platform: Virtual

FULL - AM4 - Raising Chickens at Leila North School

This is a great way to provide hands on learning experiences for students about where our food comes from, promote responsibility, empathy, compassion, and critical thinking skills, and it provides us with a unique opportunity to see firsthand how interconnected our food systems are.

However, it is important to know all the facts before you get started on this adventure. We are committed to looking after these animals and it takes a community to look after our flock. This session will provide necessary information about classroom exposure and learning opportunities, incubator methods, chicken coop set up, selecting the right breeds for your coop, collecting and storing eggs, feeder and waterer care, summer and winter care, and much more.

Instagram: Leila.north.urban.chickens

Presenters: Pam Godfredsen and Ashley Taylor



Pam Godfredsen and Ashley Taylor are both teachers at Ecole Leila North Middle School. They have a passion for both teaching and learning alongside others. Pam and Ashley see the importance of community learning and are inspired by natures connections. They work together to support environmentally sustainable education, through activity based projects.

9:15 am - 11:45 am

Platform: Virtual

FULL - PM1 - A Wellness Workday

Sustaining our resilience as educators can be a challenge during times of change. Based on Dr. Ungar’s research around the world and his clinical practice, this presentation uses examples from his new book Change Your World: The Science of Resilience and the True Path to Success to explore how those who help others can avoid burnout and maintain their own career and life resilience when stressors pile up at home and on the job. Twelve factors that make us more resilient as adults will be discussed, along with practical tools participants can use to find the resources they need to cope successfully in culturally and contextually relevant ways. Using the concepts of navigation and negotiation that are key to understanding resilience in complex, changing environments, audience members will have an opportunity to reflect on their own resilience in life, as well as times at work and at home where they had the resources they needed to succeed. Be prepared for a fast-paced, story-filled presentation that will help you build new personal and social resources.

Presenter: Jake Saurette, RPN (she/her)



During these challenging times, educators are experiencing high rates of stress. Stress impacts us in a variety of ways: physically, mentally, emotionally, and in our work, too. In this presentation, you will learn 3 strategies to help manage stress in your everyday life and on the job.

Jake is a Registered Psychiatric Nurse at Health Sciences Centre, a certified yoga and meditation instructor, and member of HSC's Critical Incident Stress Management team. She is studying for her Masters of Psychiatric Nursing focusing on promoting worker resilience through stress management skills education. She has recently launched her own business, Be Well Unwind, providing stress management education and counseling. Go to www.bewellunwind.ca to learn more.

9:15 am - 11:45 am

Platform: Virtual

FULL - PM2 - Sex Ed Skills

Research consistently shows that youth are asking for comprehensive sex education that validates their experiences and identities. Sex education that meets these needs has the potential to be transformative and lifesaving! Led by an experienced sex ed pro, this session will help you take your sexuality and reproduction units to a whole new level. There will be opportunity to ask questions and additional resources will be provided for individuals looking to deepen their knowledge and skills.

Participants will:
- Explore current nationally and internationally recognized best practices and current approaches in Comprehensive Sex Education.
- Reflect on personal values related to sexuality topics and how these relate to teaching sex education topics.
- Identify opportunities to incorporate current promising practices in comprehensive sex education to Family Studies modules, learning outcomes and topics such as puberty, abstinence, sexual pleasure, STBBI prevention and intervention, options for pregnancy, options for birthing, reproductive anatomy, contraception, sexual orientation, gender identity and more.
- Increased understanding of local resources and issues related to Youth Sexual Health.

Presenter: Erica McNabb (they/them)



Erica McNabb (they / them) is an experienced Sex Educator who has been providing comprehensive sex education for youth since they were in high school. As a Youth Health Educator at Teen Talk, Erica spent over a decade professionally facilitating sexual health workshops and comprehensive training for peer educators in schools and community settings throughout Manitoba. Erica started their own Sex Ed private practice offering sex education Q&A sessions for youth as well as consultation and workshops for educators in 2020. Consultation and booking information can be found on their website, live summer 2021.

1:15 pm - 3:15 pm

Platform: Virtual

FULL - PM3 - Health and Nutrition Education: A Weight Inclusive Approach

This session will allow you to explore weight bias and internal feelings about weight and physical size as it relates to health and nutrition teaching. Weight-centric approaches are taught in many of our health and education programs, which in reality are not effective and are harmful to the physical and mental well-being of many. We will discuss how to incorporate a weight inclusive health promotion approach in your education classes and explore language that can help students feel more confident with food.

Presenter: Kat Oksanen (she/they)



Kat Oksanen is a Registered Dietitian and a Certified Diabetes Educator. Kat works with the Provincial Eating Disorder Prevention and Recovery Program, and the Health Education Program at Women’s Health Clinic - an inclusive, feminist, community clinic. Kat is passionate about addressing the societal stigma against people of size, reducing the risk of eating disorders, and incorporating a weight inclusive approach into health care practices that acknowledges intersections of systemic oppression.

1:15 pm - 3:15 pm

Platform: Virtual

FULL - PM4 - Raising Chickens at Leila North School

This is a great way to provide hands on learning experiences for students about where our food comes from, promote responsibility, empathy, compassion, and critical thinking skills, and it provides us with a unique opportunity to see firsthand how interconnected our food systems are.

However, it is important to know all the facts before you get started on this adventure. We are committed to looking after these animals and it takes a community to look after our flock. This session will provide necessary information about classroom exposure and learning opportunities, incubator methods, chicken coop set up, selecting the right breeds for your coop, collecting and storing eggs, feeder and waterer care, summer and winter care, and much more.

Instagram: Leila.north.urban.chickens

Presenters: Pam Godfredsen and Ashley Taylor



Pam Godfredsen and Ashley Taylor are both teachers at Ecole Leila North Middle School. They have a passion for both teaching and learning alongside others. Pam and Ashley see the importance of community learning and are inspired by natures connections. They work together to support environmentally sustainable education, through activity based projects.

1:15 pm - 3:15 pm

Platform: Virtual

FULL - PM5 - Reclaim Mending - Mending 101

This workshop is a 2-hour introduction to clothing repair techniques. We will cover simple, hand-sewing mends, darning, and visible mending, as well as go over more complex mends (such as denim repair) using a machine. These are excellent skills to pass on to your students!

Website: reclaimmending.com
Instagram: @relcaimmending
Facebook: Reclaim Mending

Presenter: Anna-Marie Janzen



Anna-Marie Janzen is the owner and operator of Reclaim Mending, a local business that specializes in clothing repair.

1:15 pm - 3:15 pm

Platform: Virtual

FULL - PM6 - Fabric Art Compositions

Join Julie as she takes you through her incredible gallery and shares her inspirational journey to create these fibre masterpieces. Then Julie will show some simple techniques that you and your students can practice to become your own fibre master.

Website: juliegarcia.com
Instagram:@jgarciafabricart
Etsy: JulieGarciaFabricArt on Etsy

Presenter: Julie Garcia



Julie is a local Manitoba fibre artist. She creates fabric landscapes and hand-painted fabric from her home studio in the River Heights neighbourhood of Winnipeg. She has a Degree in Human Ecology, majoring in Clothing and Textiles from the University of Manitoba and continues to study a range of fine art and fibre art techniques. Julie has been experimenting in the fibre medium for over twenty years. It was this combination of embroidery with quilting, that moved Julie to experiment and develop her own unique compositions from fabric and thread.





9:15 am - 11:45 am

Platform: Virtual