Summative Exemplars

Year 1 Civics Summative Project:

Raising Awareness about Concussions in Canadian Youth Sport

By: Benjamin Swan

Teacher: Mrs. Hogan
Subject: Year 1 Civics
Due Date: January 19, 2016

Step 1: Investigating
Raising Awareness about Concussions in Canadian Youth Sport
Step 1a Notes: How does trauma to the brain cause concussions?
The brain is a soft organ that is encompassed by cerebrospinal fluid and protected by the skull which is a
very hard substance
The spinal fluid in the brain acts like a cushion protecting the brain from slamming into the hard skull 1

One common scenario of trauma to the head resulting in a concussion occurs when the head or body is
hit with (or without) a great deal of force
The impact can dramatically accelerate the head, causing the brain to strike the inner skull 1

Once the brain hits one side of the skull it decelerates and then hits the other side of the skull resulting in
two impacts to the brain 3

A second scenario is what is called a rotational concussion

This occurs when the head rapidly rotates from one side to another causing shearing and straining of
tissues 3

In either scenario, delicate neural pathways in the brain can become damaged, causing neurological
disturbances 3

These disturbances are the symptoms of concussions

Concussion symptoms vary from case to case
Some symptoms of concussions may be immediate, whereas others may be delayed in onset by hours or
days after injury; the ones listed below are often immediate symptoms 4

Some of the most common symptoms include headache, pressure of the head, confusion, feeling lost,
dizziness, nausea, vomiting, impaired speech, irritability, and poor balance 4

In some cases, people can get concussions without the brain making contact with the skull
Concussions can occur without having a direct blow to the head, such as whiplash
Raising Awareness about Concussions in Canadian Youth Sport
How does age affect recovery?
A study by the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Center for Sports Medicine:
371 college athletes and 183 high school athletes underwent baseline neuropsychological evaluation
between 1997 and 2000 5

54 athletes suffered concussions during athletic competition 5

All 54 athletes underwent serial neuropsychological evaluation after injury

Results
High school students had prolonged memory dysfunction compared with college students
The high school students played significantly worse than age-matched control subjects at 7 days after
injury5
 College students on the other hand in spite of the fact that they obtained much worse in- season
concussions than the high school students displayed performance with matched control subjects by day 3
after their concussion5

Conclusion
High school students in general take longer to recover and may experience prolonged and in some cases
more severe symptoms and more neurological symptoms than college athletes

What can be drawn from this?

With the information above it is clear that children below university age in particular should be even
more cautious and safe when it come to sports and activities

Raising Awareness about Concussions in Canadian Youth Sport

What are the long-term effects of multiple concussions and trauma to the head?

CTE
Scientists have discovered a neurodegenerative disease called CTE (Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy)
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The disease diminishes and destroys the brain

This disease was discovered in the brains of deceased athletes who suffered multiple blows to the head,
including sub-concussive brain injuries
Symptoms may only occur years or even decades after the person suffered blows to the head
signs of this disease include:
o increased irritability
o impulsivity
o frequent headaches
o dementia
o depression
o memory loss
o suicidal thoughts
o Alzheimer's Disease
o increased aggression and violence
o loss of vision
o decreased cognitive functioning and processing

2015 Boston University Study identified CTE in 96% of NFL players tested 7

NFL players like Mike Webster, Terry Long, Andre Waters, Justin Strzelczyk, and Tom McHale were
all victims of CTE and were featured in the 2015 film Concussion 7

The list of athletes who suffered from CTE is lengthy, including an MLB (pro baseball) player named
Ryan Freel

Raising Awareness about Concussions in Canadian Youth Sport

How community sports organizations manage concussions

Greater Toronto Hockey League Concussion Policy

Philosophy: The GTHL believes that the participants safety and health is paramount and should be first and
foremost in determining the most appropriate time in which a player may return to play once that individual has
suffered a suspected or identified head injury 8

Policy
Any player who suffers a suspected concussion must immediately stop participating in the hockey
activity
 If there is a doubt about whether the player sustains a concussion it is assumed he did and he must stop
playing
If the player is diagnosed by a doctor he must stop playing immediately
A player is not permitted to return to any hockey activity until written permission is given by a medical
doctor

Toronto District School Board Concussion Policy

TDSB believes in educating both the teachers and students/athletes about concussions

Policy
If a Concussion is suspected:
Remove the student/player from the current game or practice
Do not leave the athlete alone
Monitor signs and symptoms
Do not administer medication
Athlete needs to be evaluated by a medical doctor
Athlete must not return to play that day
Inform the parent or guardian about the injury and of the importance of an evaluation by a medical doctor.

Raising Awareness about Concussions in Canadian Youth Sport

Rowans Law
Background
Rowan Stringer was a 17 year old high school rugby player living in Ottawa
On May 3, 2013 Rowan suffered a concussion in an all-day rugby game 10

She claimed to have experienced symptoms similar to a concussion

She was not removed from the game
The following Monday Rowan was playing another rugby game
When tackled someone stepped on her head
She immediately suspected she had a concussion
However she did not reveal this to an adult
On Wednesday May 8, 2013 she played her final rugby game
She was swing tackled and knocked unconscious
She died that night of SIS (second impact syndrome, or multiple blows to the head before the brain has
fully recovered)
A Coroners Inquest into Rowans death concluded with 49 recommendations across different levels of
government and multiple provincial ministries for enhanced concussion awareness and treatment 10

These include making concussion education mandatory in the Ontario curriculum to have better tools for
coaches/trainers to recognize and treat concussions
It is important to note that every jurisdiction in the United States has concussion-related legislation;
Ontario would be the first in Canada.
The Bill was introduced by Rowan's local MPP Lisa Macleod this past fall, and had the unanimous
support of all parties; it is currently before a legislative committee
The Bill
The law will create an advisory committee called Rowans Law Advisory Committee with members
appointed by the Minister of Children and Youth Services, the Minister of Education and the Minister of
Health and Long Term Care, and the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport
The Committee will seek to implement all 49 recommendations regarding concussion prevention and
awareness

Raising Awareness about Concussions in Canadian Youth Sport

Step 1b: Stakeholders
Stakeholder #1 -- Rowan Stringers Family:
In my view, the Stringer family is an important stakeholder in terms of creating awareness and education about
the recognition of and treatment for concussions. As mentioned earlier, the family tragically lost their beloved
daughter Rowan. She was an assertive and admired rugby player on her John McRae Secondary School varsity
team. Through a series of very unfortunate events, Rowan suffered three serious concussions in the span of one
week. The cause of death, concluded coroner Laura Mackenzie, was SIS, or second impact syndrome. The fact
that Rowan was unable to (i) recognize symptoms of a concussion, and (ii) understand the importance of sitting
out and not participating in any physical activity, tells us just how much work has to be done to educate people
on this very serious issue that potentially faces every Canadian. Thankfully, the Stringer family has made it
their goal to accomplish this through Rowans Law. The law will:
Create an advisory committee called Rowans Law Advisory Committee with members appointed by
the Minister of Children and Youth Services, the Minister of Education and the Minister of Health and
Long Term Care, and the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport
The committee will try to implement all 49 recommendations made by the coroner who investigated
Rowan's death, regarding concussion prevention education and awareness 10

One significant recommendation includes making concussion education mandatory in the Ontario school
curriculum to have better tools for coaches/trainers to recognize and treat concussions
It is important to note that every jurisdiction in the United States has concussion-related legislation;
Ontario would be the first in Canada.
The Bill was introduced by Rowan's local MPP Lisa Macleod this past fall, and had the unanimous
support of all parties; it is currently before a legislative committee

The Stringer family, their local MPP, and everyone else involved in advocating for this Bill have done an
incredible job contributing to the common good of advancing concussions awareness and treatment in Canada.
For that, I truly commend them.

Stakeholder #2 -- Cascade, the manufacturer of the M11 Ice Hockey Helmet:

According to CTV News, nearly 50% of all brain-related injuries in children and teens in Canada occur during
play of our beloved national sport, hockey. Knowing how aggressive and violent the game can be, it is very
hard to fathom that helmets were only made mandatory in the NHL in 1979. Can you imagine how many
concussions occurred back in the days when helmets were not mandatory? It was not until significant research
was done in the 1990s on concussions and how they are caused by doctors such as Brent Omalu that helmet
manufacturers began to pay closer attention to creating safer, more protective helmets. Today, most hockey
helmet manufacturers such as Bauer, Reebok and CCM claim to have helmets featuring technology that helps
prevent concussions. When I tried to find information about this technology on their websites, I was
disappointed to find that they had limited evidence supporting any claims they made. One reason these
companies do not want to implement stronger, more advanced technology in these helmets is because the
aesthetics of the helmet may not be appealing to their customers. However, the company Cascade has, in my
view, revolutionized the helmet industry by creating a helmet that is aesthetically pleasing, lightweight (646
grams), extremely comfortable, and has a paramount focus on concussion prevention. It achieves its
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groundbreaking protection by something called Seven Technology:

Seven Technology liner system utilizes a ground-breaking impact attenuation system 11

M11 uses EPP foam allowing it to reform 17 seconds faster than any other helmet 11

The helmet is tuned to absorb impact using lateral displacement

Seven Technology behaves like two helmets in one one for catastrophic hits and one for
concussions
Mono 90 shell offers a lightweight streamlined design 11

90/10 shell configuration is lighter, faster, stronger, and reduces direct energy transfer
Dynamic system provides a lower neck adjustment that eliminates pressure points
 20 air vents for maximum airflow 11

HECC and CSA certified cage

The work that Cascade has done to put safety first, while balancing that with aesthetics, is amazing. To quote
a popular phrase (from a poster in class), to do what is popular may not always be right; to do what is right
may not always be popular! The latter part of this phrase represents how I feel about Cascade and its focus
on concussion prevention.

Raising Awareness about Concussions in Canadian Youth Sport

Step 1c: Essay

Concussions sustained in youth sports are a very real and serious problem. Each year 144,000 Canadians
sustain a concussion, with the vast majority of them occurring in young people . Of those 144,000 concussions,
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more than 20% occur during youth organized sports. According to one medical source, a staggering one-third
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of young Canadians will suffer a concussion before they leave high school. At Upper Canada College, in the
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last 5 years alone (2010-2015) there have been a reported 266 concussions. This year at UCC the number of
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concussions students suffer may reach an all-time high as there have already been a reported 35 concussions
before January, meaning the number may grow to as many as 70 before the end of the school year. This would
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surpass the 2011-2012 record of 58 reported concussions of students . The incidence of concussions in youth
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sports has understandably been described by many doctors as an epidemic. This issue is not only a medical and
ethical one, but also a civic one that demands the attention of our government. I believe that the best way to
address this issue that faces millions of Canadians is by making concussion education mandatory in all public
and private schools and youth sports organizations across Canada.
With evidence of the scope and reality of the pressing issue of concussions in Canadian youth sports, I
will now discuss why addressing this issue is so vitally important to all Canadians. To do so, I would like to
start with my personal story about concussions. At age 9, I was an elite hockey player competing in the most
competitive league in Canada. In a spring hockey tournament in 2012, I suffered a very serious concussion
where I was knocked unconscious. Luckily I recovered and was back to my normal routine, including returning
to hockey, within a month or so. A year and a half later, I was running sprints on the volleyball court when my
glasses caught the net and my head was thrown back against the floor. I was not knocked unconscious but was
very dazed by this incident. I do not believe this was a full concussion, but it was still trauma to the brain.
Then, a year later while playing in a hockey game in December of 2014, I was illegally cross-checked from
behind, hit the boards, and suffered another concussion. It took me over a month to recover and to fully regain
my cognitive processing skills. Finally, in August of 2015, seven months after my second diagnosed
concussion, in what would end up being the last competitive hockey game I ever played, I was elbowed to the
shoulder which caused my head to violently hit the boards, causing a third concussion. It took me over three
months to fully recover and for me to feel like myself.
Soon after my third concussion I met and spoke with one of the leading neurosurgeons and concussion
experts in Toronto, and she confirmed the devastating news I was expecting--that I should not play any contact
sports for the rest of my life. My doctor explained the risks of getting a fourth concussion and the potential
permanent damage it could do to my brain, and the life-long symptoms I could potentially experience as a
result. While I was not happy to hear this, I recognize that she gave me credible, informed, and responsible
medical advice. One might ask how my story is related to the question of how addressing concussions in
Canadian youth sports benefits the common good. Imagine that another young person had suffered a
concussion during a contact sporting event. Imagine that person was poorly educated on the matter of
concussions, their symptoms, and their treatment protocol, and did not even know what the term concussion
meant. Then imagine that that young person continued to play not knowing the dangers and risks of playing a
sport when they were suffering from a concussion. There are so many real life scenarios like this where young
athletes are poorly educated about concussions. Improving concussion education would directly benefit youth
athletes and advance the common good by keeping young athletes safer. Simply put, if more people were
educated on this issue, the number of deaths related to brain injuries in youth sports would almost certainly be
reduced. Educating young people about the long-term effects of suffering multiple concussion at a young age
would allow them to understand that it is not worth the risk to play through a brain injury.
The prior scenario brings to mind the real-life case of Rowan Stringer of Ottawa. In 2013 Rowan
suffered three concussions within one week playing high school rugby and subsequently died of trauma to her
brain. If concussion education had been mandatory at her school, she would have been able to recognize that
she had suffered a severe concussion, and known that playing with a concussion leaves one vulnerable to
Second Impact Syndrome (SIS) in which an individual suffers a second traumatic blow to the head before
recovering from the first. If education about concussions were mandatory, I firmly believe that knowledge
about the symptoms of concussions and risks associated with them would have resulted in different behavior,
and Rowan would still be alive today. Consider another scenario similar to my personal story where a young
athlete suffers multiple concussions and brain trauma during his or her athletic career. After a third concussion
the athlete may not know the risks of a fourth concussion and continue to play his or her sport. One study
suggests after three concussions you are 30% more likely than you were before to suffer another concussion . 14

The likelihood of suffering a concussion increases with every concussion sustained.

To conclude, I believe that making concussion education mandatory in all public and private schools
and youth sports organizations across Canada, for the athletes and the coaches, will benefit the common good
by making young Canadians better informed and knowledgeable about concussions and concussion protocols,
and therefore keep them safer, healthier, and alive. Young Canadians futures are at stake.
Step 2: Doing
Raising Awareness about Concussions in Canadian Youth Sport
Step 2a: Plan of Action

Plan of Action #1: Promote Public Awareness (National Concussion Awareness Day)

I would take steps to organize and promote a National Concussion Awareness Day. I would work with
the Canadian Concussion Collaborative to establish a National Concussion Awareness Day, recognized by
governments, by sports medicine and medical organizations, and by a wide range of sports organizations and
educational institutions. This initiative would be promoted as Tackling Concussions Head-On. On the
designated day, recognized neurosurgeons, sports physicians and other experts would speak to coaches, trainers,
parents and young athletes at schools, youth sports organizations, national and local hockey, football and
lacrosse associations, and at other community gatherings. A short but attention-grabbing documentary film on
the subject would be prepared and shown. The initiative would also be promoted in the media with information
about concussion prevention, awareness and treatment protocols, along with real-life cases. Experts would be
interviewed on sports and news talk shows. Former professional athletes would be invited to participate to draw
attention to the cause. Educating and raising awareness for young athletes, parents, coaches, trainers, family
doctors and legislators is the first step in minimizing concussions and long-term consequences of traumatic
brain impacts.

Plan of Action #2: Service (Creating an iPhone/iPad app called Heads Up!)

Often times a young athlete will sustain a concussion during a sporting event and not be aware of the
injury or its seriousness. The athlete may be told by his coach that he simply got his bell rung but is able to
return to the game after catching his breath. However, a rung bell is simply an old-fashioned way of say a
traumatic blow to the brain. Although concussion awareness has greatly improved in the last 20 years, some
coaches and parents consider players as weak or too cautious when it is suggested that they sit out for a
period of games to recover from a blow to the head. Thankfully, through Rowan Stringer's law, that will
hopefully be implemented this fall, it will be mandatory for players to be taken out of the game immediately if
the athlete has suffered a suspected concussion. Team trainers often have a concussion test that the players go
through to determine whether or not these athletes have in fact suffered a concussion. The results are measured
against a baseline test players completed earlier that season. The problem with that style of testing is that it is
very easy to pass. On two separate occasions I passed my team test after being knocked unconscious. In order to
solve this significant and often widely overlooked problem, I would meet with a team of software developers
and computer programmers. Together we would create an application or app available for free and accessible
to all who have an iPhone, iPad or similar device called Heads Up!.

This app would be a simple to use concussion test, and would evaluate whether or not the athlete has sustained a
concussion by analyzing a series of cognitive and physical tests. These tests would include physical balance
tests (using the level sensor in the device), pupil tests using the camera, and a series of cognitive questions.
These results would be compared against a baseline test the athlete completed at the beginning of the season.
This app would allow trainers and coaches to keep multiple profiles of their athletes, and therefore would be
perfect for teams.

Plan of Action 2b

i. The promotion of public awareness approach (National Concussion Day -- Tackling Concussions Head-
On) outlined as Plan of Action #1 is preferable to the service Plan of Action #2 because it would have the
broadest possible exposure and the potential to have greatest impact on reducing concussions among young
Canadian athletes. The National Concussion Day plan is realistically capable of success, fulfills an important
need (there is no similar initiative) and would reach a large audience across a number of fields. The concussion
app under Plan #2 would be very useful for sports teams, but would have a more limited reach as the people
who would download the very useful application Heads Up!, presumably team trainers, would already be
educated on the issue of concussions.

ii. The main goal of my plan for a National Concussion Awareness Day initiative is to raise awareness and
knowledge among a large audience of parents, athletes, coaches, trainers, family doctors, legislators and other
Canadians about concussion prevention, recognition and treatment, and long-term consequences of traumatic
brain injuries.

iii. I believe that my plan for a National Concussion Awareness Day would be embraced by young athletes,
parents, a wide range of public and private schools, youth sports organizations such as Hockey Canada,
provincial and local hockey, football, lacrosse and other contact sports associations and leagues, the Canadian
Coaching Association, the Canadian Concussion Collaborative, sports medicine organizations such as the
Canadian Association of Sport and Exercise Medicine, physician organizations such as the Canadian Medical
Association, provincial legislators (it fits well with the Rowans Law initiative by the Ontario Legislature) and
the media.

iv. Awareness Plan of Action -- National Concussion Day Tackling Concussions Head-On

The primary approach that I would advocate be taken to respond to growing concussion numbers in
Canadian youth sports is to organize and promote a National Concussion Awareness Day. Somewhat similar
to bell's Let's talk day in February. Except that day is geared towards mental health. At the present time, there
is no single organization in Canada dedicated exclusively to concussion awareness and advocacy. The Canadian
Concussion Collaborative is not an organization per se but rather a concussion working group composed of
other representatives of organizations such as the Canadian Medical Association, the Canadian Paediatric
Society and the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sports. The long-term goal should be to establish a dedicated,
non-profit organization to advocate for and promote concussion awareness, prevention and treatment; however,
in the immediate future, the goal should be to work with the Canadian Concussion Collaborative to establish a
National Concussion Awareness Day, recognized and promoted by proclamations by the federal and each of the
provincial governments, by the member organizations of the Concussion Collaborative, and by a wide range of
sports organizations and educational institutions. This initiative would be promoted under the headline-grabbing
slogan Tackling Concussions Head On.

For one day a year, the Canadian Concussion Collaborative would organize neurosurgeons, sports
physicians and other experts to speak to a wide range of coaches, trainers, parents and large numbers of young
athletes at public and private schools, youth sports organizations such as the Hockey Canada, Greater Toronto
Hockey League, provincial and local football and lacrosse associations, and at other community gatherings. A
short but riveting documentary film on the subject would be prepared and shown at such gatherings and made
available for cable and internet broadcast. A website for National Concussion Day would be created, promoting
the speaking events, linking to the documentary film, and providing resource material and links to other relevant
concussion websites. As well, the Concussion Collaborative would issue a series of tweets on Twitter linking to
the website, a schedule of activities, and a link to the film. The initiative would also be promoted in the media
with extensive information about concussion prevention, awareness and treatment protocols, along with real-life
cases that drive home the scope and importance of the issue for young (and adult) Canadian athletes. Experts
would be made available to be interviewed on sports and news talk shows on the radio and television. A group
of media-friendly former professional hockey and football players, such as Wendell Clark and Mike Pinball
Clemons, could be involved in the initiative to draw further attention from the media and interest from young
athletes. Educating and raising awareness for young athletes, parents, coaches, trainers, family doctors and
legislators is a critical step in minimizing concussions and long-term consequences of traumatic brain impacts.

Step 3: Reflecting
Raising Awareness about Concussions in Canadian Youth Sport
3a: Criteria for judging the success of a proposed National Concussion Day

There would be multiple ways to measure the success of the action plan for a National Concussion Day I have
proposed. However, I have narrowed that list down to what I believe are the most important measures of
success:

1. The first measure of success would be to determine how many schools the neurosurgeons and experts
would visit. According to Statistics Canada there are 15,500 schools in Canada . Realistically, if 1 in 10
15

of those 15,500 schools (1550 schools) were visited by volunteer experts on the first annual National
Concussion Day, I believe that would be an excellent number for the first year.
2. The second measure of success would be to determine how many students attended these presentations.
The average number of students per school in Canada is roughly 350. So, it would be an incredibly
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successful day if 500,000 students were educated about concussions.

3. The third measure of success I would consider would be to determine how many sports organizations
hosted an expert speaker on concussions. I would consider it a success if more than 250 youth sports
organizations across the country hosted expert speakers on concussions.
4. The fourth measure of success would be to determine how many youth sports coaches and trainers
attended presentations by expert speakers. I would be pleased if 500 trainers and coaches attended a
seminar.
5. The fifth measure of success would be to determine how many views the documentary film gets on the
Internet. Because the documentary would be accessible to all Internet users, I would be happy if the
documentary had 50,000 views in the period after it was posted.
6. The sixth measure of success would be to see how many visitors the National Concussion Day website
gets. I would be happy with 30,000 visitors.
7. The seventh measure of success would be to determine how many likes and re-tweets the Twitter
tweets relating to National Concussion Day achieve! I would be happy with 30,000 retweets.
8. The eighth measure of success, and one that would require a much longer time-frame to assess, would
be to see how National Concussions Awareness Day affects the number of reported concussions in
Canadian youth sports. We would measure this by looking at the number of reported concussions during
the year before the National Concussion Awareness Day, and the number during the year after National
Concussion Awareness Day. Although we would like this number to drop significantly over the longer
term, I expect that the number might actually rise in the first year after Concussion Awareness Day. This
is because concussion awareness promoted by the National Concussion Day initiative might lead to
 more thorough recognition and reporting of concussions, even if the actual number occurring did not
increase (and might even go down).

3b: Would the plan be successful in achieving its goal?

I strongly believe that the action plan I have proposed to address awareness about concussions in Canadian
youth sports (a National Concussion Awareness Day) would likely be very successful. There are many reasons
for this. A 2005 study by the Canadian government found that 51% of the youth population (5-14) played sports
on a regular basis. Among the most popular team sports in Canada are physical contact sports where head
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contact and brain trauma are a real risk, including hockey, football and lacrosse. Young athletes playing contact
sports, as well as their parents, coaches and trainers, need to learn more about contact brain injuries that could
impair their cognitive abilities, immediately or later in life, or potentially even kill them. With that in mind,
athletes, parents, teachers, coaches and trainers should be motivated to attend the National Concussion
Awareness Day presentations, watch the documentary film, listen to or watch broadcast interviews with experts,
and read about concussion information on the website. The educational information presented about concussion
prevention, recognition, management and treatment should go a long way to helping to reduce the occurrence of
concussions and further damage caused by returning to contact sports before the brain is fully healed. In my
opinion, properly educating young Canadians and their parents, teachers, coaches and trainers on the subject is
one of the most important steps that could be taken to help reduce the number of concussions, and allow athletes
to recover properly.
There will always be concussions in contact sports, but I sincerely hope that in the long run young athletes, and
their parents, coaches, trainers and teachers will be more fully educated about preventing, recognizing and
treating concussions.
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Author unknown. Facts about Rowan's Law. Rowans Law. Accessed Jan. 14 2016. http://rowanslaw.ca/facts/.

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2016. http://www.tdsb.on.ca/Portals/0/Elementary/docs/SupportingYou/Concussions_1.pdf.

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concussion-related-injuries/.

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Homelessness in Toronto Orion Khan

Step 1: Learn about your Civic Issue and how you can address the Common Good

Part A
Topic: Homelessness in Toronto

Source Topic Notes/quotations

http://homelesshub.c -447 people living on the streets in toronto

a/community- Data about
profiles/ontario/toront the homeless -3,970 people staying in city-administered shelters
o in Toronto
Services and -5,219 is the total estimated homeless population
health
-The Canadian Definition of Homelessness argues that the
problem of homelessness and housing exclusion refers to the
failure of society to ensure that adequate systems, funding and
support are in place so that all people, even in crisis situations,
have access to housing. The goal of ending homelessness is to
ensure housing stability, which means people have a fixed address
and housing that is appropriate (affordable, safe, adequately
maintained, accessible and suitable in size), and includes required
services as needed (supportive), in addition to income and
supports.

http://www1.toronto.c services -The street outreach service run by the city of Toronto helps street-
a/wps/portal/contento available for involved people to be housed by providing them housing
nly?vgnextoid=cfa2d6 the homeless assistance, street respite, and referrals to emergency shelter.
2869211410VgnVCM
10000071d60f89RCR -The Emergency Shelter Services run by the city of Toronto that
D gives thousands of people shelter and a bed to sleep in.

http://www.wellesleyi - increases and -Toronto reports that 5,219 people were homeless in 2013. That
nstitute.com/housing/t decreases in the number is slightly higher from the 5,169 in 2009 and up 5% from
orontos-homeless- homeless the 4,969 people reported homeless in 2006. This indicates that
population-continues- population the homeless population is increasing steadily.
to-grow-latest-city- - who is
count/ homeless in -Virtually all homeless people (93%) want permanent housing
Toronto shattering the persistent myth that people who are homeless
choose to be homeless this means that we do not have a good
system.
 -People who are homeless on Torontos streets are outside for an
average of 7.5 years, far longer than any other category of
homelessness which shows that people that dont receive any
help have far worse living conditions.

-More than one third of the people that are homeless on the street
are Aboriginal.

http://homelesshub.c prevention
a/solutions/prevention
-In Canada and elsewhere, much of our effort has been at
managing homelessness through an investment in emergency
services. A more strategic response will retain the emergency
services (because people will still experience crises that lead them
to lose their housing) but shifts the focus to prevention, and moving
people out of homelessness.

-The best way to work towards ending homelessness is to invest in

preventing it.

-The three main ways you can address homelessness are

prevention (stopping people from becoming homelessness in the
first place), emergency response (providing emergency supports
like shelter, food, and day programs while someone is homeless),
and housing and accommodation and supports (the provision of
housing and ongoing supports as a means moving people out of
homelessness).

http://www.raisingther what can the -Since 1997, the annual Toque Campaign has supported over 180
oof.org/ average person community agencies across Canada by selling toques, raising $7
do to help million to date in support of long-term solutions to homelessness.
homelessness? 50% of the profit is given to the community Partner Agencies that
work with people experiencing homelessness while the rest goes to
the campaign costs.

-You can buy a toque by simply clicking the buy a toque link and
chose which one you want.

-The only thing more Canadian than a toque is the generosity of

our people who understand that homelessness is unacceptable,
and a problem that can be solved. Stephen Gaetz, Board
President and Director of the Canadian Observatory on
Homelessness

Part B

Raising the Roof

-The Raising the Roof foundation creates long-term solutions to ending homelessness

-They focus on specific issues and populations, giving solutions to reducing and preventing homelessness.

-There national public education campaigns helps bring attention to the issue of homelessness.

-They talk about the issue of homelessness and encourage audiences to get involved.
-There national Toque Campaign sell toques across the country with all the proceeds going to partner
agencies working directly with people experiencing homelessness.

-They are looking for volunteers for the Toque Campaign.

-Also, they encourage students to sell Toques at their schools to raise money for the homeless. At the Raising
the Roof website they have guidance on how to organize an event in your school or community.

-At there website you can also contribute directly by donating.

http://www.raisingtheroof.org/

United Way

-The United Way is a worldwide not-for-profit movement and is the largest non-governmental supporter of
social services in the region.

-They are dedicated to creating opportunities for people to improve their lives and have a better future.

-There goal is to provide measurable, sustainable ways of encouraging the success of our young people,
moving people from poverty to possibility, and creating a robust community-services sector overall.

-They do this by doing research to identify and better understand the issues that impact life in our communities.

-This research allows them to fund agencies, projects and initiatives across the region that are helping our
community and make the change we want to see.

http://www.unitedwaytyr.com/

Step 1: Learn about your Civic Issue and how you can address the Common Good

Part C

Homelessness in Toronto

Part 1

Homelessness is a modern-day issue that concerns nearly every community. If you are homeless you

are facing extreme poverty and generally do not have a family that supports you. According to data from The

Homeless Hub, the total estimated homeless population in Toronto in 2013 was 5,219. Roughly 450 of those

people are living on the streets, while 3,970 people are staying in the city-administered shelters. More than

one third of the people that are homeless on the street are Aboriginal. The homeless population in 2013 was

slightly higher from the population of 5,169 in 2009 and up 5% from the 4,969 people reported homeless in

2006. This indicates that the homeless population is increasing steadily. Nearly 50% of homeless people who

use Toronto shelters and meal programs have a monthly income of less than $500. With this low income it is

extremely hard to support yourself and almost impossible to support children. People who are homeless on
Torontos streets are outside for an average of 7.5 years, far longer than any other category of homelessness,

which shows that it takes far too long to get off the streets with the current system.

Homelessness needs to be solved because so many people are living with nothing and they should be

able to get out of that situation through their own work and the support of the systems that the government puts

in place. However, there are issues with the way Canadian government and the city of Toronto deal with

homelessness. The Canadian Definition of Homelessness argues that the goal of ending homelessness is to

ensure housing stability, which means people have a fixed address and housing that is appropriate (affordable,

safe, adequately maintained, accessible and suitable in size), and includes required services as needed

(supportive), in addition to income and supports. Not all of these solutions are being implemented, particularly

providing people with a fixed address by ensuring housing stability. The City of Toronto is working on

implementing supports for getting people off the street. For example, the Street Outreach Service, run by the

City of Toronto, helps the homeless to be housed by providing them housing assistance, street respite, and

referrals to emergency shelter. As well, the Emergency Shelter Services, also run by the City of Toronto, gives

thousands of people shelter and a bed to sleep in. These are band-aid solutions which deal with the problem

temporarily but they're not long-term strategies. The best way to work towards ending homelessness is to

invest in preventing it. In Canada and elsewhere, much of our effort has been at managing homelessness

through an investment in emergency services. A more strategic response will retain the emergency services

(because people will still experience crises that lead them to lose their housing) but shifts the focus to

prevention, and moving people out of homelessness. So far Toronto has done a good job with supplying

emergency services and a decent job at moving people out of homelessness. All Toronto is missing is

investing in preventing homelessness.

Part 2

The common good is all about ensuring the well-being and happiness of everyone. If we help each

other, then the world will become a better place, and even if life is unfair, we can help make it less so.

Addressing homelessness is important for the common good because it is good to help the less-fortunate and
it will help economy grow. When you help someone that is homeless, you help restore their dignity. So when

people say that the homeless people are on the street because they want to be there they're completely

wrong. Studies have shown that, virtually all homeless people (93%) want permanent housing shattering the

persistent myth that people who are homeless choose to be homeless. The government does not have a

good enough system in place and we have been lying to ourselves about homelessness. If you help people

better themselves, then they could become normal citizens and continue on with their lives. Helping children

rise out of homelessness would let those children have a better childhood, have a much greater chance to

succeed in life, and not wind down the road of drugs or alcohol like some people that were raised homeless.

These children, and those who are helped out of homelessness, can become productive citizens in our society

and would be no longer dependent on emergency services.

If less people are homeless, the economy would grow because more people are in the working class

instead of being dependant on the rest of society all their lives. If you are homeless, it is extremely hard to be

hired because you are unpresentable and the majority of business owners do not like hiring homeless people

because they are viewed as unreliable and unstable. All the homeless deserve to be able to get out of their

situation through their own work. To make this possible the only thing Toronto needs to do is to construct a

system in which someone currently homeless can use to succeed and to stop the problem before it happens

with immediate support. By preventing people from becoming homeless and allowing more people to have a

brighter future we can greatly help the common good.

Bibliography

Shapcott, Michael. "Toronto's Homeless Population Continues To Grow: Latest City Count." Wellesley Institute. Accessed
December 19, 2015. http://www.wellesleyinstitute.com/housing/torontos-homeless-population-continues-to-grow-latest-
city-count/.

"Population Facts." The Homeless Hub. Accessed December 19, 2015. http://homelesshub.ca/community-
profiles/ontario/toronto.

"Ending Homelessness." The Homeless Hub. 2015. Accessed December 21, 2015.
http://homelesshub.ca/solutions/ending-homelessness.

"Homelessness Services." City of Toronto Housing. 2015. Accessed December 23, 2015.
http://www1.toronto.ca/wps/portal/contentonly?vgnextoid=cfa2d62869211410VgnVCM10000071d60f89RCRD.

"Prevention." The Homeless Hub. 2015. Accessed December 23, 2015. http://homelesshub.ca/solutions/prevention.

Shapcott, Michael. "Toronto's Homeless Population Continues To Grow: Latest City Count." Wellesley Institute. July 31,
2013. Accessed December 19, 2015. http://www.wellesleyinstitute.com/housing/torontos-homeless-population-continues-
to-grow-latest-city-count/.
Step 2: Plan of Action

Part A

Plan 1:
One approach I could use to help the issue of homelessness in Toronto is Raising the Roofs Toque
Campaign. This organization uses philanthropy as well as awareness to help end homelessness. The Toque
Campaign raises money for the homeless by selling toques and giving half the profits to local agencies that
support the homeless. By selling toques at UCC, I would be helping the homeless cause by supporting local
agencies and by raising awareness about the issue within my school community.
Plan 2:
Another approach I could use is one of awareness. I could ask a representative from the United Way to
speak in front of UCC about homelessness. This representative will make the UCC Community more aware
and educated about homelessness and teach us about what we can do to prevent it. Having someone speak in
front of the UCC boys will make the boys more compassionate towards the homeless because the students will
learn that there are reasons that people end up on the street rather than having the mindset that all homeless
did not try hard enough in life. By informing the boys about the issue of homelessness, I hope that they may
donate towards the cause later in their lives.

Part B

i. The Raising the Roof method is more effective than the United Way approach because the Toque
Campaign helps fund organizations that directly help the homeless, as well as spreading awareness. Raising
the roof does not outline to which local agencies the money goes; however, the money might be put towards
homeless shelters, soup kitchens, or preventative programs. The United Way approach only spreads
awareness and that is why it is not as effective.

ii. My main goal is to help fund agencies that provide the homeless with food, shelter, medical care,
advice about getting out of homeless, and housing support. Also, I want to spread awareness among the
community of UCC about homelessness and why it needs to be solved.

iii. The local agencies Raising the Roof is funding through its toque campaign are always happy to accept
funding because they do not receive enough funding from the city. Also many students would like my plan
because who does not want a good toque in Canada?

iv. I am going to use Raising the Roofs Toque campaign to raise money for local agencies that help the
homeless. First, I would fill out an order form for the number of toques I hope to sell at UCC. When I return the
form to raising the roof they will ship the toques to UCC. Before I selI the toques, I would create
advertisements in the form of posters. I would post them around the school to inform students about the
toques, that they would be sold in the student center, where the profits would go, and a few facts about
homelessness. When the toques arrive, I would set up a stand in the student center and request that my stand
be announced at assembly. The announcement would outline what the campaign is, where the stand is, and
why homelessness is an important issue in our society today. At the stand I will have the toques displayed
along with a billboard that explains why homelessness needs to be solved, and I will make 100 pamphlets that
provide more information about homelessness in our city. When I feel like I've sold enough toques (100), I will
pack up the remaining toques and the raised money, and ship it back to Raising the Roof.

Step 3: Criteria for measuring the effectiveness of your Plan of Action

Part A

Some measurable criteria that I would use to determine if my plan was successful are:
1. Did 5 or more people ask me about homelessness because they have questions from reading the
billboard or the posters?
2. Did I sell 100 toques or more?
 3. Did 10 people or more approach my stand each day?
4. Were 20 or more pamphlets about homelessness in Toronto taken from the stand?
5. Did I see at least 20 people wearing the Raising the Roof toques?

Part B

My plan will be successful because there is nothing stopping it from not happening. I only need to convince the
school allow the hanging of the posters and the setting up of the stand. The majority of the toques will be sold
because most students have have the cash to buy something and are looking for something cool to wear.
These toques would be considered cool because they are a way to show off to your friends that you have
donated to a good cause. These toques are of good quality with multiple styles of toques to choose from.
Selling the toques sets me apart from other fundraisers because you receive something in return for your
donation. People want to buy warm clothing for the winter so why not support the homeless at the same time?
Also, after the stand is announced at assembly, people will come to the stand because it will be set up in the
Student Center where all the students will come to get their bags after assembly. It will be very convenient for
all the students to buy a toque.