Sacred Heart High School, Authentic Voices Productions and Maple Court Retirement Residence are pleased to announce the release of "Words of Wisdom: Living Legacies – The Elders of the Bruce"

"Words of Wisdom: Living Legacies – The Elders of the Bruce" is a tribute book that features the stories of local Elders written by students at Sacred Heart High School. The book launch for invited guests will occur on FRIDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2018 AT 2:00 PM at the school. The event will feature welcoming comments from special guests, the distribution of the books by the students to the gathered Elders, light refreshments and socialization.

The release of "Words of Wisdom" is the culmination of a 'Project-Based Learning' educational initiative that the Bruce Grey Catholic District School Board is pleased to support. Students, enrolled in Ms. Paulette Lippert's NBE 3C English classes, embraced 21st Century learning skills by utilizing technology, communication and advanced creative problem solving skills in an interactive hands on learning project with Elders from the Maple Court Retirement Residence, Saugeen First Nation and the Walkerton area. Ms. Lippert summarized the value of the project by commenting, "I am proud of my students' strong desire to honour the Elders of our communities with their tributes. They genuinely expressed that they 'needed to get this right' as they were being entrusted with the life stories of people who have sacrificed and given so much to so many over the years."

The successful implementation of the project was made possible through the backing of local community organizations, including the Bruce Grey Catholic District School Board, Maple Court Retirement Residence and Authentic Voices Productions. Additionally, financial support was also provided by the Province of Ontario's Seniors Community Grant Program which promotes healthy living and encourages inclusive opportunities for seniors within their communities.

By participating in the project, Sacred Heart High School students became researchers, interviewers and ultimately authors who had the privilege of documenting the vital legacies of area residents – experiential learning at its best. In turn, the Elders had the opportunity to share their collective wisdom while taking on mentoring roles with youth, in the editing and revision of their rich life stories.

Veronica Davidson, Project Manager of Authentic Voices Productions believes that by publishing the stories of our Elders, "that generations to come will be inspired by the legacies of sacrifice, perseverance and volunteerism – the hallmark characteristics of a life well lived." Copies of the Words of Wisdom will be available at local school and public libraries throughout the area and at the Archives at the Bruce County Museum & Cultural Centre in Southampton.

source: media release, BGCDSB