CHAPTER 1 This story began in October, before COVID-19. I was invited to spend a day with my Scottish cousin and her husband. Little did I know that I was about to be introduced to a story that would change my life, the lives of hundreds of children, and potentially the world. We had just…
Geneva, Switzerland I had a fantastic experience at College Du Leman, with students from 200 countries, including children of UN delegates and royal families. During my visit, I gave five one-hour assemblies. The first was for grade 5 students, and I connected with a young man with ADHD. In my second and third presentations to…
Thursday, January 18th-Friday, January 19th, 2024 I stayed at the Hampton Inn in Burlington on Thursday night to ensure I caught the 6:00 am train on Friday morning. I woke up at 4:00 am and had a quick bowl of oatmeal before showering and heading to the Burlington Go Station to meet my travel companions. We went to…
I picked up supply educational assistant jobs at three local school boards. It became evident that some forms of bullying are more common than others. One of the most pervasive forms of bullying in grades seven and eight is passive-aggressive behaviour. For instance, upon entering a classroom, I would immediately be met with snickers, [...]
My presentation at the Vienna International School was fantastic. We stayed in the old part of Vienna, which has historic buildings. The city is filled with years of history. People were busily walking, driving and biking through the city. It was like watching a giant game of chicken as people weaved in and around traffic…
MUSKRAT DAM & SACHIGO, ONTARIO First Nation Communities Muskrat Dam is a First Nation community located east of Manitoba, north of Thunder Bay and south of James Bay. I was invited to travel to this community to present leadership and anti-bullying presentations. I flew from Billy Bishop Airport in Toronto to Sioux Lookout to Muskrat…
COURAGE TOUR GOES TO SCOTLAND I was walking through an old cemetery in Edinburgh, marvelling at the age of the tombstones, when I heard the sound of children laughing and screaming. I understood the screaming; I was in a cemetery, however, laughing. I walked toward the sound and peered through a wrought-iron gate, only to…
MY ADVENTURES PRESENTING IN SCOTLAND TAKING SCOTTISH KIDS TO CAMP When I was over in Scotland, I connected to an organization called the Young Carers. These were children who supported family members who had either mental or physical challenges. The Young Carers Organization supported these children, giving them respite and fun activities to [...]
BANANA MAN I had just finished performing in Montreal and Ottawa and was preparing for my COURAGE TOUR. I would present in Bermuda, Calgary, Edmonton, Alberta, and Edinburgh, Scotland. Then, BAM! All schools were shut down due to the COVID-19 virus. All my presentations and after-school programs were cancelled. Now what? I tried my hand…
What fun, creative things could I do during the COVID-19 epidemic? Hey, how about making a leadership and anti-bullying video? I needed to do something creative. I wasn’t able to run my after-school leadership programs or anti-bullying presentations. What could I do to feel like I was growing and moving forward? I contacted my…