Diwali festivities shine a light on diversity, community and belonging at École Secondaire Beaumont Composite High School

An increased sense of belonging was the goal of a special celebration at École Secondaire Beaumont Composite High School (ÉSBCHS) this week. Students and staff enjoyed a variety of activities and learned about Diwali, the Indian festival of lights. 

With a decorated atrium, filled with colourful garlands and twinkling lights, and a variety of cultural activities, the purpose of the event was to bring the school community together and foster a sense of belonging among students. 

“We have a growing population of students from India and Southeast Asia and so we’ve had lots of different cultural events over the last few years,” explains ÉSBCHS teacher Katie DeBoer, who helped to facilitate the event. “I think that it helps a lot of students feel seen.”

After pitching the Diwali festivities last spring, ÉSBCHS was the recipient of a DEHR (Diversity, Equity and Human Rights) grant from the Alberta Teachers’ Association (ATA) to help fund the event. Once the grant was approved, a group of excited staff and students came together to form a Diwali committee and to begin planning the celebration.

The festivities included daily morning announcements teaching about the history of Diwali, a day of art activities where students and staff could create and learn about different traditional Indian art forms, including rangoli and henna, and a food and dress day where students were encouraged to wear Indian cultural wear or fancy dress and to try a sampling of different Indian foods. 

Nimrit, a student at ÉSBCHS, says, “It’s great to have a school that values culture and community and it's fun to get to celebrate who we are with people who aren’t Indian.” Another student, Avneet adds,“I really like the feeling of appreciation and bringing light to our traditions.” 

Another student, Lincoln says,“I wish this would happen more. It gives me a sense of happiness that the school supports events like this for lots of different cultures.” 

DeBoer expressed excitement for the school to continue running a variety of similar cultural events going forward.  

“Education helps people to break down barriers and helps us to build a community of belonging at our school,” she says.“We want to emphasize belonging and celebration.”