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Possibilities: Addressing Poverty in Elementary Schools

Jim Giles

Possibilities: Addressing Poverty in Elementary Schools is a teacher resource meant to help urban and rural school communities better understand and support children and families living in poverty. [[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_large","fid":"64","attributes":{"alt":"Cover of Possibilities: Addressing Poverty in Elementary Schools ","title":"etfo_addressing poverty cover v12","height":"259","width":"200","class":"media-image alignright wp-image-457 media-element file-media-large"}}]]Possibilities provides an overview of poverty in Ontario and Canada and assists schools and educators in rethinking challenges, assumptions and biases around poverty issues. Each section of the book and CD contains practical first-hand examples of school based innovations and initiatives from ETFO’s multi-year Poverty and Education project. For example, this publication provides educational approaches for engaging children, families and communities experiencing poverty and lists community resources and advocacy groups.  A list of literature links for classroom learning in primary, junior, intermediate and French language classrooms is provided along with modules for professional learning entitled “Changing Mindsets.” This teacher resource is unique in that it challenges deficit-based thinking towards children and school communities experiencing poverty with practical, day-to-day examples of strategies to support the academic and non-academic needs of students in a positive and inclusive manner.