The ‘I Own It’ Campaign

Sample Bulletin Board

Our
Mission

Community

Our campaign is dedicated to fostering a community where everyone feels empowered to express something important to them in a safe environment where there’s a sense of belonging. We believe that when we come together to share what’s important to us, we create a vibrant, supportive network that enriches us all.

Empowerment

Support

Safety

Confidence

Self-Acceptance

Imagine a school where everyone’s unique strengths, learning preferences and cultural perspectives are not only acknowledged but accepted with an open heart.

The 'I Own It' Campaign is dedicated to fostering a community where all individuals feel empowered to express their true selves, free from judgment. By coming together to share what’s important to us, we create a vibrant, supportive network that enriches us all.

The goal of the "I Own It" Campaign is to empower staff and students by encouraging them to complete the phrase, "I'm ______ and I own it!" Following a Kickoff Assembly, each participant fills in the blank with a word that represents something important to them. Afterward, they proudly hold up their sign, which is captured in a photo. These images will then be displayed on a bulletin board in a prominent area of the school. As the board fills with photos and personal declarations, it transforms into a colourful tapestry of shared experiences, highlighting both commonalities and differences. This visual representation not only fosters self-acceptance but also encourages empathy, helping participants understand and appreciate diverse identities within their community. The collective expressions of identities create a stronger, more inclusive school environment.

The 'I Own It' Campaign is aligned with the Health curriculum expectations for both Junior and Intermediate divisions, specifically Strand A1.5—Self-Awareness and Sense of Identity. By reflecting on what’s important to them, participants deepen their understanding of their own identities, leading to greater confidence, empowerment, and self-acceptance. The campaign also supports the board’s Multi-Year Strategic Plan to build unity within the school, encouraging participants to recognize their shared humanity and the strength in diversity.

Thanks to a generous grant from the Canadian Children’s Optimist Foundation and the Optimist Club of Newmarket, we are in an even better position to bring our vision to life. The first six participating school will receive $350 to help promote and sustain the campaign by purchasing ‘I Own It’ t-shirts, stickers, bracelets, and posters. The funds can also be used to print pictures for the bulletin board or for any other creative campaign-related needs. While this isn’t a requirement, we would love to receive testimonials from students and staff at the end of the campaign to share how it impacted them.

Each school’s participation in the campaign will remain exclusive to its building, ensuring a safe and secure environment for all participants. This approach fosters trust and provides an opportunity for all to engage fully in the campaign.

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Bring the ‘I Own It’ Campaign to your school

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Created By:

Denise Mabee

As an educator, workshop presenter and writer for the past 34 years, Denise has been nominated twice for Teacher of the Year due to her innovative ways of teaching.  Her students ranged from Kindergarten up to Grade 8 as well as adult learners.  Within her school board, she was involved in writing curriculum for the subject areas of Health, the Environment, report card comments and play-based learning.  She has also led numerous student and teacher workshops at the Peace Tree Conference, Together We're Better Conference and The International Language Teacher’s Program.  A highlight of her career was presenting her own workshop, 'I Own It - Power of Identities', at an annual Quest Conference in 2018.  In the same year, Denise created the ‘I Own It’ Campaign as a positive approach to bullying.  Outside of the board, Denise has presented a report card workshop to teacher candidates at York University, numerous ETFO 'Re-Thinking White Privilege' workshops to teachers around Ontario and effective teaching and assessment practices to teachers in Shenyang, China and Busan, South Korea.  Shortly after the birth of her son, she began writing and is now a published author of two picture books.  Denise has presented author visits both online and in person to schools across Canada and the USA.  Denise’s biggest venue to date was reading her first book, 'My Shoe', to 2,000 students online; a picture book which supports the ‘I Own It’ Campaign.  This book has been published in different languages around the world.  In her spare time, Denise is an avid photographer, world traveller and watercolour painter.

Theme Song By:

Lisa Costa

Lisa Costa is a Canadian Folk Pop Artist & Songwriter. She hosts the Dog-eared Cafe Open Mic in Paris, Ontario & she is currently writing her first EP.  She has released two singles (for adults) which are available at https://linktr.ee/lisacostamusic. Most recently she collaborated with Denise Mabee to create a theme song for Denise’s brilliant ‘I Own It’ Campaign, for kids and teens (& everyone) available at https://youtu.be/iHVenS2AcNw.