Shomporko Desk: HSDN International has been running a free Bangla school on every Sunday at Oakridge School in Toronto since March 2016 with the support of TDSB free space for community provided by TBPAC. The activities are volunteer-based where most of the parents engage in the activities execution. The main aim of the school is to teach Bangla language and promote Bangladeshi culture and heritage in Canada. This school also helps with homework and drawing. Due to provincial budget cuts, we moved to Access Point Danforth and running our activities every Saturday from 11.30 am to 2 pm supported by Bangladeshi Canadian Community Services (BCS).
We execute the activities by an executive body and advisory body created from the parents of Bangla school students and the community people who have been supporting and helping in Bangla School continuity and development. We have a yearly action plan. Every year for last three years, we have celebrated International Mother Language Day by organizing art, cultural, bangle speech and Bangla letter writing competition; independence by inviting freedom fighters to share their experiences and stories with children; summer campaign and bbq party for children and parents all day long; celebrating victory day by organizing good parenting workshop. Besides, we were organizing workshops and seminars which helped the children not only acquire the knowledge but also building leadership among them. Environmental learning is a very main activity among other activities where we are involving children, parents and community people.
