Coming into its second year, RON (Royal Oak Neighbourhood) Talks has covered everything from U.S. politics to transgender issues, male health, food security, cycling and festivals.
The next RON talks is Wednesday (March 2) and will feature Dr. Helen Raptis and Lawrence Lam.
Raptis will talk about, “Adding resources to B.C.’s public schools without increasing funding.”
As an associate professor in the Faculty of Education at UVic, Raptis’s research interests include are educational history and minority education. She’s published extensively in both Canadian and inter nation journals. UBC recently published her book,“What We Learned: Two Generations Reflect on Tsimshian Education and the Day Schools.”
Raptis has been outspoken in her criticism of the Fraser Institute’s annual rankings.
Lawrence Lam will speak on using restorative justice to build citizenship.
Lam is the coordinator, community development and student leadership with Residence Services at UVic. He coordinates residence judicial affairs system and student-leader training. He has a masters of education from with a focus on adult and higher education.
This innovative and community-building series of gatherings was initiated in 2014 by Colin Plant, a teacher and Saanich councillor. The whole idea is for people to come out, listen to the guest speakers and talk afterwards about issues of concern or importance to residents. It has no political affiliations. The idea stemmed from Plant’s Saturday morning coffee gang and from watching TED talks for teaching ideas.
Sometimes they have 50 people show up other times maybe just two. Everyone from Esquimalt to Sidney is welcome to attend. RON Talks are at Crumsby’s Cafe in Royal Oak, 4525 Saanich Road, at 7 p.m.