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History of "...In Tacit Understanding..." Accomplishments

1999 - Official One Community Web Site launched on April 21st, at the 4th Annual "...In Tacit Understanding..." showcase at Metro Hall.

1997-98 - "...In Tacit Understanding..." Roy C. Hill Award, "in recognition of the initiative and professional enterprise displayed in the development and successful application of an important educational innovation". Provincial OTF (Ontario Teachers Federation) and National CTF (Canadian Teachers Federation). Program highlights and student participants appear on CBC, City-TV, and SHAW Cable Newscasts.

1997 - (CASHRA) Conference report and student interviews with "Share": Canada's largest ethnic news magazine Vol. 20 No. 10

1997 - "...In Tacit Understanding..." program featured Youth Presentation at 35th Annual Canadian Association Statutory Human Rights Agencies (CASHRA) Conference, Metropolitan Hotel, Toronto.

1996-99 - Significant Music®™ "...In Tacit Understanding..." Productions @ Rotunda, Metro Hall

1996 - "...Love is..." is selected theme song by Toronto Police (Hate/Crime Unit) for showcasing positive youth initiatives against Hate/Crime Activities

TEACHERS IN ACTION

Since 1994, Ennio Paola has been coordinating and developing a program involving students, schools, police and local government aimed at bringing together youth through the arts and providing students with a forum to educate, raise awareness, voice concerns and to share personal experiences on issuse of Hate.

Paola's enterprise, Significant Music®�, gives performances of musical works, dramatic readings and recitals of poetry and has grown to include almost a hundred students from six schools; they are from backgrounds reflecting the multicultural nature of their communities.

Performances are given on request and, in this way, Paola hopes to recruit more schools to his cause. Paola, himself a composer, contributes much of the music but also encourages creativity on the part of the student performers. With Toronto Police (Hate/Crime Unit) as co-sponsors, Ennio has contributed years to a well documented and successful program titled "...In Tacit Understanding...One Community Under the Same Sky...". The group has launched its own internet web site which reflects the ideals of Paola and his young performers and their determination to work toward a greater understanding and appreciation of Canada's diversity.

For his initiative Ennio has won the Roy C. Hill Award given by the Canadian Teachers' Federation for innovative teaching programs as well as the 1999 Pickering Civic Award - Arts and Culture.

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Toronto Secondary Unit Highlights Volume 00, Issue 3

from "Innovation '98", Roy C. Hill Awards Program

Title

"In Tacit Understanding ~ One Community Under the Same Sky": Celebrating Positive Youth Against Hate/Crime Activities.

Introduction
"In Tacit Understanding" is a proven successful program for youths to take on artistic responsibilities through artistic contributions made in areas that promote public awareness of youth combating hate/crime activities.

Characteristics of Students
Students from all social, economic and cultural backgrounds between the ages of 11 and 20 present their varied interests, abilities, skills, imaginations and aspirations in a showcased cavalcade of arts celebrating positive youth initiatives against hate/crime activities.

Objectives
The objectives of this project are to:
1. raise public social awareness of hate/crime activities as it relates to today's youth;
2. discover and develop tools for the young that will greatly enhance their self-esteem and provide communities with greater respect and integrity for all;
3. give young people a positive avenue to channel pro-active solutions in combating the issues encompassing hate motivated crimes;
4. recognize and celebrate the numerous positive initiatives undertaken by talented youth as they promote and take on key role model responsibilities and positions for others to emulate.

Description:
"In Tacit Understanding" provide an original music score as both "framework and catalyst" for young artists to share their talents in the areas of Visual Arts, Music, Dance and Spoken Word.

All student participants and their teachers/moderators are provided with suggested cross-curricular activities designed to accompany selected songs and/or music. i.e, lyrics to the program's theme song of "Love is..." were used by Art classes to inspire imaginative visual representations of images as relayed through the text. The results were creations of a "Love is...Banner" and a set of "Love is... T-Shirts". Speeches were also created from song titles, e.g. "Cool Universe", "Danse Aficionado", etc. for students to share in their personal experiences and voice their inner feelings regarding the impact of hate motivated crimes.

During the first four years of this program's implementation, Significant Music®™, Toronto Police (Hate/Crime Unit), Toronto Police (Community Policing Support Unit) and City of Toronto (Access & Equity Unit) have joined in co-sponsorship of these youth-based performances.

Taken individually, the idea of students participating in a public performance in areas oft the arts and in public speaking is not new. Working in co-sponsorship arrangements with Police agencies and City officials is also not new. Combining original scripts and scores with additional student contributions has been accomplished before and the cross-curricular scope found here can be attatched to numberous other projects. However, what is new is that collectively, all these elements have successfully come together to:

1. give students a focus in voicing their concerns in areas of hate/crime activities;
2. provide the general public with the opportunity to share in celebrating positive youth initiatives against Hate/Crime Activities;
3. give participating students and audiences alike positive exposure in making everyone an equal partner in sharing pro-active solutions to the questions of hate motivated crimes.

It has been noted, given the objectives set out by program cosponsors teachers/moderators truly act as facilitators for students in this program. From the outset it is established that this opus celebrates youth for youth thus giving young people true co-sponsorship of this arts showcase.

On April 21, 1999 the "One Community Universe" web site was officially launched during the 4th Annual Performance of "In Tacit Understanding" at Metro Hall, Toronto. This site, designed created and to be administered by students was launched by Dr. Karen Mock, National Director, League for Human Rights of B'Nai Brith Canada.

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Impact on Students

It has been made quite clear that youth participating in productions of "In Tacit Understanding" have gained a great deal of self-esteem. Many return year after year to encourage others to become more involved in issues that promote racial harmony. A number of students have moved on to other forums, ie, student councils, where their voices can be heard on other matters concerning youth. Young and old audience members, in attending the cavalcade of arts showcase, continue to demonstrate that a positive approach is the only acceptable method in promoting racial harmony and that they too, have now participated in becoming part of the hate/crime solution.

Conclusion

The success of the "In Tacit Understanding" can best be measured in the continued support and encouragement received from co-sponsors Significant Music®™, "Toronto Police (Hate/Crime Unit)", "Toronto Police (Community Policing Support Unit)" and "City of Toronto (Access & Equity Unit). Recognition received by participating at the 1997 CASHRA (Canadian Association of Statutory Human Rights Agencies) Conference and interest generated through articles like the one featured in Vol. 20, No. 10 of "Share Newspaper" (Canada's largest Ethnic Newspaper) are important, however, nothing compares to the satisfaction everyone feels in witnessing a growth in the number of schools who have participated and in sharing the joy of seeing all those students being formally recognized with "Toronto Police Respect Certificates", "In Tacit Understanding ~ One Community Under the Same Sky" plaques or "Canadian Unity Pins" for their important contributions towards combating Hate/Crime activities.