“ 所有在芥子种明白，结束无家可归问题不仅仅只是给他们一个住所。它还包括使人们变得强大和独立。”— 芥子种首席执行官斯蒂芬·怀尔

加尔各答校园/开放思维非常高兴今年我们在庆祝25周年的同时，还有五个新的试点站点加入我们。我们不仅庆祝开放思维项目25年，还庆祝创始Idea的存在。今年的试点站点之一是芥子种，也就是种子学校。

芥子种长期以来一直致力于学生学习体验。种子学校发展自22年的暑期学习项目，以及在学校教室中讲话和教学的30年。多年来，芥子种为学校提供了参观和讲习班的机会，从而与2015-16年的三个加尔各答校园项目建立了联系。随着一些加尔各答校园站点开始将芥子种融入他们的周计划中，芥子种和加尔各答校园开始梦想着在芥子种启动试点项目。

种子学校一周的学习使学生们亲身体验贫困、无家可归和社会问题，挑战他们思考自己在参与更广泛社区中的角色。倾听芥子种居民或来宾的故事，使学生们对贫困、无家可归、同情心以及什么构成一个健康社区有了更好的理解。讨论课题如成瘾和精神健康，并允许学生们了解芥子种所提供的技能、激情和资源，如何关心我们周围的人。一周中，学生们有机会参观芥子种的建筑，并了解他们提供的服务以及他们如何帮助有需要的人。通过纳入学生的选择和设计，教师和站点专家与学生合作作为引导者。通过把教育与当地社区联系起来，学生们可以看到他们所学内容的相关性，因此更加投入学习过程。

种子学校团队由Brittany Vine和Kelsey Brown组成，他们是芥子种的社区参与团队的一部分。Brittany和Kelsey在与年轻人进行社区参与方面拥有丰富的知识，他们对教育和社区服务都充满热情。

凭借其丰富的历史和多样化的周边社区，种子学校为在卡尔加里弯腰带地区进行教学和学习提供了极好的机会。这些经历培养和增强了对我们相互关联的卡尔加里社区的重要理解能力。

 
“Everyone at The Mustard Seed understands that ending homelessness is more than just providing a roof over their heads. It is also about bringing people to a place of strength and independence.” — Stephen Wile, CEO of The Mustard Seed 

Campus Calgary/Open Minds is thrilled to have five new pilot sites on board this year as we celebrate our 25th anniversary. Not only are we celebrating 25 years of the Open Minds program we are celebrating the “idea” that began it all. One of our pilot sites this year is The Mustard Seed, or SEEDschool.

The Mustard Seed has long been engaged in intentional student learning experiences. SEEDschool evolved out of 22 years of summer learning programs, and three decades of speaking and teaching in school classrooms. Over the years The Mustard Seed has developed opportunities for schools to engage in on-site for tours, and workshops, leading to a relationship with three Campus Calgary programs in 2015-16. As some Campus Calgary sites began integrating The Mustard Seed into their weeks, The Mustard Seed and Campus Calgary began to dream about initiating a pilot program at The Mustard Seed.

A week at SEEDschool engages students in hands-on learning about poverty, homelessness and social issues, challenging students to consider their role in engaging in the larger community. Listening to stories of a resident or guest of The Mustard Seed allows students to gain an understanding of poverty, homelessness, compassion and what makes a healthy community. Topics such as addictions and Mental Health are discussed and allow for students to learn how we can care for people around us with the skills, passions and resources that The Mustard Seed offers. During the week students have the opportunity to tour the buildings of The Mustard Seed and to learn about what services they provide and how they help people in need.  By incorporating student choice and design, teachers and site experts act as facilitators working collaboratively with students. By grounding education in the local community, students can see the relevance of what they are learning and therefore become more engaged in the learning process.

The SEEDschool team is composed of Brittany Vine and Kelsey Brown who are part of the Community engagement team at The Mustard Seed. Both Brittany and Kelsey have an incredible wealth of knowledge with working with youth in community engagement and are both passionate about education and community service.

With its rich history and diverse surrounding community, SEEDschool provides an excellent opportunity for teaching and learning in the Calgary beltline. These experiences develop and build capacity for critical understandings of our interconnected Calgary community.