A number of Grade 5 and 6 students from the Battlefords were using the power of music and dance to take a stand against interpersonal violence on May 2.
The initiative is called Youth Rising, and it focuses on the issue of interpersonal violence in the community and around the world.
The effort is funded by the Saskatchewan Alliance for Youth and Community Wellbeing.
Jessica Labman, a school counsellor with Living Sky School Division, coordinated the effort. She modelled it after the One Billion Rising Campaign, which is a global movement to end violence against women.
“We started out trying to think of a way to engage our students, just to help them feel they had a voice and could make a difference,” said Labman.
“I wanted them to learn about the prevalence of violence in our communities and across the world. We thought this is a unique way to empower them to make a positive change.”
About 100 students from Battleford Central and another 60 from Bready School took part during the afternoon Tuesday.
During the morning, students were filmed at their respective schools as they danced to the song Breaking The Chain by Tena Clark.
For Youth Rising, the organizers decided to follow the lead with the One Billion Rising campaign and use the same music in their video. Teachers from the division choreographed the dance and taught it to the students who participated.
In the afternoon, the students from the two schools gathered on 22nd Street in Battleford for the big dance number on the main street. The street was closed off to allow the kids to perform.
Once again, the performance was filmed by videographers. All the footage will be put together for a music video to be presented May 17 at a community celebration event at Chapel Gallery.
Labman said she is hopeful there will be a positive impact for all the students who participated.
“I hope the students learn the value of healthy relationships, that violence isn’t okay in any form, and that learning and being part of this project helps them make a difference in their own lives and stand up for others in the future."
