Ready for
Action
The HC-X program prepares students to make a difference in the world
Written by Pat Morden
Photo by Danijela Gorley

& Innovation, Havergal College
“I think it’s really important that we’re learning about our changing world and the harm that’s being done. It’s also important to learn about the good work that’s being done—that makes me want to act. “
That’s Rachel Kolet, a grade 9 student at Havergal. She recently completed the TC-9 course, part of the school’s HC-X program. As part of the program, she researched the environmental impact of the fashion industry and came up with sustainable alternatives to brands that are popular with her friends.
The goal is for students to develop and understand their agency in making change and to put their academic knowledge into practice in their lives.
HC-X was developed to serve as a “future-ready service hub” for the school. A team of four teachers designs learning experiences that prepare students for the world they will inhabit when they graduate. In a rapidly changing environment, Havergal’s HC-X programming is focused on developing skills and attributes that enable students to interact with and understand the world in responsible and ethical ways.
There are currently two HC-X courses. The first, Digital Wisdom, helps students develop their own identity in a world where digital content is constantly telling them who they should be and what they should do. Starting in grade 5 and extending through to grade 8, the course encourages them to think critically about their digital environment and how it might affect their relationships, experiences, and personal development.
“It’s great that we had TC-9 to shift our focus toward the environment and what’s happening in the world.”—Michelle Olatunji, grade 9 student



The other course, TC-9, focuses on climate action. In April grade 9 students spent eight intensive days immersing themselves in information about the climate crisis and traveling around Toronto, assessing it as a sustainable city. A highlight for student Michelle Olatunji was the visit to the zoo to learn about conservation through an Indigenous lens.
In addition to Indigenous ways of knowing, the course exposed students to western science perspectives, data analysis, human geography, and other aspects of the climate crisis. They were encouraged to think about how they interact with the land and understand themselves as environmentalists. A group of community environmental and social purpose organizations set up a knowledge fair in the school hall.
Students also participated in the planting of a pollinator garden on school grounds and read excerpts from two influential books. Inspired by all they had learned and after working through design thinking and systems thinking modules, they developed actions they could take as individuals. Student Michelle Olatunji researched clean energy options and proposed a solar charging station for the school. “We use a lot of electricity here, and I wanted to find one way we could start using more renewable energy,” she says.
“I learned that you can make a difference, no matter who you are or what your occupation.”—Rachel Kolet, grade 9 student

HC-X courses are about students learning and practicing what Nichols calls future-ready mindsets—perspectives based on global responsibility, critical thinking, equity, diversity and inclusion, and long-term thinking. “It’s great that we had TC-9 to shift our focus toward the environment and what’s happening in the world,” Olatunji says. Says Kolet, “I learned that you can make a difference, no matter who you are or what your occupation.”
Underpinning the programming in HC-X is a belief that learning in a spirit of joy and optimism is critical. As students with the privileges afforded to them as citizens of an OECD country, Havergal’s programming ensures students understand the opportunity they have to make a positive, lasting difference in their world and to empower them to act ethically and responsibly.
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