Inside the Student-Driven GSA at \u00c9cole River Heights School<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jennifer Wiebe, a Language & Literature and Truth and Reconciliation educator at \u00c9cole River Heights School, has long been committed to fostering equity and belonging in her classroom and beyond. A recipient of the Prime Minister\u2019s Award for Teaching Excellence, Wiebe has been instrumental in shaping the school\u2019s inclusive practices, including the development of one of Winnipeg\u2019s first middle years Gender Sexuality Alliance (GSA) clubs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The GSA at \u00c9cole River Heights began in the 2015-2016 school year, sparked by a student request at a time when GSAs were still largely found only in high schools. Wiebe and colleague Petra Thanisch had already been running the \u2018Butterfly Effect Club\u2019 which focused on human rights, and it quickly became clear that 2SLGBTQIA+ students needed a dedicated space of their own. \u201cThe first openly trans student I encountered in middle school came up to me and said, \u2018We need a GSA,\u2019\u201d Wiebe recalls. \u201cOnce a student asks, we are obligated to make it happen and we were happy to.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That first meeting drew nearly 50 students – standing room only. Their needs were diverse, so the club grew into two branches: an activist group focused on educating peers, surveying the school community, and advocating for changes such as the school\u2019s first universal washroom; and a quieter, safe-space group centered on connection, crafts, and conversation. \u201cThere was a lot of emotion, almost like a group therapy session at times,\u201d Wiebe says. \u201cAnd I’m not a counselor; I’m a classroom teacher. So, it almost felt, at times, like we were maybe a bit out of our element. We did start inviting guidance to join us as much as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Today, the club continues to evolve based on student voice. Participation shifts year to year, and Wiebe sees that as a sign of success, not decline. \u201cI think sometimes there’s this idea that every kid who identifies as queer is attending the GSA every week which is not the case,” says Wiebe. \u201cAnd the years that we run the musical, for example, the theater almost becomes the de-facto GSA in a different way. Because of the culture of this school, and in particular this division, kids can feel safe in a variety of spaces.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The GSA now meets once a week, welcoming students from Grades 7 and 8, with a strong emphasis on flexibility: no registration, no attendance pressure, no requirement to disclose identities. \u201cWe always say anyone can come. We don\u2019t check identity cards.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Visibility and celebration remain central. Over the years, the club has marched in Winnipeg\u2019s Pride Parade, taken charge of the International Day of Pink school assembly, organized bake sales and rainbow potlucks, raised money for charity, partnered with Kelvin High School\u2019s GSA, and taken part in community events and reading programs in feeder schools. The club maintains an ever-changing bulletin board that reflects the topics they\u2019re focusing on, such as features on rainbow books in the school library. They even launched their own neighbourhood Pride walk last year – complete with bubbles, music, and cheering elementary students lining the fences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Wiebe is proud not only of the club\u2019s accomplishments, but of the relationships built within it. Students who might struggle in the classroom often find comfort and confidence in the GSA. Newcomer students, including those whose families fled persecution for their identities, bring perspectives that deepen discussions and empathy. \u201cFor some kids, when they’re in the classroom, maybe that’s not their most successful space. The GSA is a place where those kids can really come out of their shell and be themselves.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After nearly a decade, Wiebe\u2019s philosophy remains simple: a GSA must be student-driven. \u201cIt doesn\u2019t need to be big or impressive,\u201d she says. \u201cAs long as it responds to the needs in the room and keeps students at the center, it will always be what it needs to be.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Her students agree. As one Grade 7 member shared, \u201cOur GSA is important to me because it helps me feel confident in myself\u2026 I learn more about who I am and who I want to be.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Wiebe says she\u2019s happy to talk to teachers if they have questions about starting their own GSA, especially those in rural areas, but the request for the club should come from students, based on their own comfort. She acknowledges that there can be quite a difference between city schools and rural schools. \u201cIt’s important for our kids to know what we have here at River Heights. We know that we can put a rainbow flag in my class and march around the neighborhood, and nobody’s going to be calling and complaining. That is a privilege.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Jennifer Wiebe, a Language & Literature and Truth and Reconciliation educator at \u00c9cole River Heights School, has long been committed to fostering equity and belonging in her classroom and beyond. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":3442,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3440","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-food","post-thumbnail-displayed"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mbteach.org\/mtscms\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3440","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mbteach.org\/mtscms\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mbteach.org\/mtscms\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mbteach.org\/mtscms\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mbteach.org\/mtscms\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3440"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.mbteach.org\/mtscms\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3440\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3444,"href":"https:\/\/www.mbteach.org\/mtscms\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3440\/revisions\/3444"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mbteach.org\/mtscms\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3442"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mbteach.org\/mtscms\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3440"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mbteach.org\/mtscms\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3440"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mbteach.org\/mtscms\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3440"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}