By Jack Brittle, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
On May 28, Craig Kielburger Secondary School hosted its first Play Day event, organized by Burlington charity Dare to be You(th) (DTBY). Students from nearby Elsie MacGill Secondary School and Milton District High School were also invited to the event.
It’s DTBY’s second Play Day event, with the first hosted by Burlington Central High School last year.
Playday-type events are hosted at many schools, but DTBY’s Play Day features more than the average outdoor activity day.
This particular event included musical artists, comedians, and artist Anthony Haley, utilizing a canvas on-site to create art live, as well as an appearance by Gordon Krantz, the mayor of Milton, and Karina Gould, the MP for Burlington. Students enjoyed performances by ZAYA, Harm and Ease, Mer, Rev, and Austen Alexander.
Halton Regional Police Service, Tutor Doctor, and Cogeco all had booths set up as well.
Shannon Tobin, the founder and CEO of DTBY, said the event felt necessary after the lack of social interaction during COVID-19.
“With the pandemic, the isolation that took place and the mental health [decline] that has had a huge effect on the anxiety [of students], and so we needed to bring fun back to school,” Tobin said. “We needed to get them out of the classroom to engage.”
Dare to be You(th) started in 2013 as a passion project for Tobin, where she helped fund organizations already in existence, but has since evolved into a youth charity of its own.
DTBY provides a Financial Resilience and Wellness program, a Community Youth Council, and peer-to-peer support groups and workshops.
“Our programs provide youth with opportunities to build important life skills to develop healthy passions, and to also connect with the community,” Tobin said.
Tobin talked about her own struggles as a youth and how it inspired her to start DTBY.
“I lost my dad when I was three and we didn’t talk about it,” Tobin said. “There was no counselling, and my mom didn’t talk about it. And so, I grew up as a very broken young person. And it had a really huge impact on my life and the trajectory [of it].”
Jodie Schnurr, the vice principal of the school, said that after attending last year’s Play Day, she wanted to hold the event at her school and that she and DTBY have many shared goals.
“I’ve seen in my 35-year career what kids can do,” Schnurr said. “I’ve seen what their capacity is, and I believe in the same thing [that DTBY does], and it just aligns with my own values, and I thought, I want in on that.”
Schnurr is also a former auxiliary officer for the Halton police and explained why she thought it was important for them to also be present at the event.
“They are actively recruiting at the moment, both out of high school as well as out of post-secondary,” Schnurr said.
“So, I wanted them to have an opportunity to connect with our community, because our student body represents a very diverse community, and that’s what Halton Regional Police also wants to represent in terms of their recruitment and connection,” Schnurr continued. “It just seemed like a natural fit.”
Schnurr is also retiring next month and said the event felt like a bit of a send-off for her.
Karina Bhana, a student organizer in grade 11, said the event was inspiring lots of other students to become more engaged with the school and community.
“I think it’s going to inspire the rest of our student body to get involved because a lot of people are now coming to me and they want to volunteer,” Bhana said. “They’re like, ‘This is so cool, I want to get my hands dirty.”
To find out more about Dare to be You(th), visit https://www.dtby.ca.
