Lindsay became involved with PA-MOJA in 2015 when Alison Stuart introduced the organization to the staff at Charles Best School in Coquitlam. Lindsay had been looking for an organization that aligned with her values; PA-MOJA was the perfect combination of education and wildlife conservation. As a Science and Special Education teacher, Lindsay wanted to empower people. So she volunteered to help with the Butterfly Effect class. Combining activism and social justice, the Butterfly Effect class encourages students to develop meaningful connections and to make a positive difference in the world.
The Butterfly Effect class at Charles Best meets once each week in the early morning before the school day begins. Students are encouraged to survey areas of interest, then select one topic to explore further, and create an essential question to guide their inquiry. The students research their topics and then share their findings online with other students in Canada and Kenya. Through the Butterfly Effect website, students post their progress and support one another’s learning by offering feedback and sharing resources. Lindsay was also instrumental in welcoming the 3 groups of Kenyan Butterfly Effect students who visited Canada. Lindsay enjoys teaching the Butterfly Effect class to students at Charles Best because it expands cultural awareness through storytelling, and inspires action-based activist initiatives which encourage students to respond to real life issues.
Because of Lindsay’s ongoing commitment to PA-MOJA she wanted to see the Kenyan side of the organization firsthand. In 2019, she traveled to Kenya and met the people and experienced the work that PA-MOJA does. It was in Kenya that she gained a deeper appreciation of the positive impact of all facets of PA-MOJA and their partnership with the Ol Pejeta Conservancy; students really can make a positive difference. Lindsay came back from that trip and decided to join the PA-MOJA Committee so that she could help support the organization even more. She has been the lead teacher for Butterfly Effect over the last 3 years. She believes that having students learn, share and collaborate through their personal interests is one of the best ways to help kids learn about each other and break down stereotypes. Ultimately, we are all more alike than we are different.
