Media Coverage
the Media Coverage of the Hidden Histories Project.
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A class project at a Saint John high school has put unsung New Brunswick history in the spotlight and helped earn the teacher a Governor General's award.
Connie Shea was one of seven teachers from across the country honoured with a 2024 Governor General's History Award for Excellence in Teaching, for her "exceptional commitment to sharing Canadian history from a new perspective."
Shea won the award for Hidden Histories, a project that saw grades 11 and 12 students in Indigenous studies at St. Malachy's create 10 digitally interactive postcards, each featuring a little known subject from the past of the province or Wabanaki territory.
The Hidden Histories project emerged from an anti-racism program provided in partnership with BGC (Boys and Girls Club) Greater Saint John. Over four months, Grade 11 and 12 students researched historical figures and events that were important in New Brunswick and Wabanaki Territory, but whose stories had too often gone untold. Students worked in teams, learning to critically analyze sources, identify bias, and apply historical thinking skills. From their research, they selected ten topics and created digitally interactive postcards containing information and artwork about the chosen person or event. They published and distributed 500 postcards throughout their community and shared them at a public launch event. Students also linked each postcard to an interactive website that provided more information about the topics and invited public feedback.
New Brunswick teacher awarded a Governor General’s History Award for Excellence in Teaching