Educate

Designed to amplify our research and engage Canadians in their democracy, the Samara Centre's educational resources and engagement programming provide active citizens and public leaders with the knowledge and tools to drive positive change in our politics. If you're looking for trusted, non-partisan educational tools, explore our resource library below.

LATEST RESOURCES AND EVENTS

Minority Governments

What are Minority Governments?

Canada's 43rd Parliament is a minority government. Learn what they are, how they're formed, and what they mean for Canadian democracy.

In Defence of Democracy

EVENT: In Defence of Democracy

We were proud to partner with CBC Radio's Ideas to present this fireside chat between Anand Giridharadas and Nahlah Ayed.

Let's Talk Digital

In partnership with The Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada, this non-partisan initiative engages youth in digital citizenship workshops to teach about misinformation online.

Field Guide

The Field Guide to Online Political Conversations

These infographics bring together insights from the study of difficult conversations and social media, as well as new survey data, to examine how citizens can discuss politics better.

RESOURCE LIBRARY

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To learn about previous programming, please see the sidebar.

Parliament

The Reform Act

Learn more about The Reform Act, how it came to be, and what it calls on MPs to do.

Keywords: Reform Act, political party, caucus, Member of Parliament

What are Minority Parliaments?

In this informative blog, we explain what a minority government is, how it's formed, and what it means for Canadian democracy.

Keywords: Parliament, minority governments

The Throne Speech in 10 Steps

This fun and informative pop-up video guides viewers through ten easy steps to understanding the Speech from the Throne.

Keywords: Parliament

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Proroguing Parliament

A quick explainer on why Parliament gets prorogued, what it means, and who decides when it happens.

Keywords: Parliament

Political Leadership

Poster for Elected Representatives

An informative resource on how elected representatives can engage young citizens in Canadian politics.

Keywords: engaging citizens, resources for MPs

Member of Parliament Consultation Fortune Teller

A fun and informative "fortune teller" tool with dos and don'ts for MPs on how they can engage everyday citizens.

Keywords: engaging citizens, resources for MPs

mpei_interviews_guide - ALREADY UPLOADED

MP Exit Interviews Teacher's Guide

This teacher's guide is meant to be used with the four MP Exit Interview reports in order to help bring university, college, or high school curriculum to life.

Keywords: engaging citizens, resources for teachers, educational resources

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VIDEO: A Day in the life of an MP

Follow Priya, a recently elected MP, as she goes about her day in Ottawa in this animated video.

Keywords: members of parliament, how parliament works, political leadership

Guide to Local Youth Councils

Offering practical advice and insight into local youth councils or advisory boards—an increasingly popular practice by Members of Parliament to involve young people in politics.

Keywords: youth councils, youth and politics, engaging youth, politics, youth engagement

Active Citizenship

Let's Talk Digital

A non-partisan initiative with the Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada, aiming to engage youth in a series of workshops and engagement opportunities on digital citizenship.

Keywords: youth engagement, digital citizenship

Field Guide to Online Political Conversations

These colourfully illustrated infographics offer tips to improve the way we discuss politics online.

Keywords: social media, online conversations, politics online, civility

Political Participation Checklist

Wondering how to participate in politics beyond just voting? Find out ways you can make a difference with this easy checklist.

Keywords: political participation, active citizenship

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VIDEOS: Everyday Political Citizen Stories

Everyday Political Citizens from across the country tell their stories on video. Watch them open up about their efforts to achieve positive change for their communities.

Keywords: everyday political citizen, active citizenship, political participation

VIDEO: How to be an Everyday Political Citizen

In this short video, follow Michelle as she learns from her friend Luke, a real-life Everyday Political Citizen and champion of accessibility, about the many ways she can make a difference on an issue she cares about.

Keywords: everyday political citizen, active citizenship, political participation

Elections

What to Expect When You're Electing

This non-partisan explainer series focuses on Canada's federal elections by answering FAQs, busting common myths, and supporting healthy political conversations.

Keywords: federal elections, political leadership, voting

What We Talk About When We Talk About Electoral Reform

This primer on electoral reform is intended to provide an entry point for Canadians seeking high-quality, non-partisan information about five possible electoral systems.

Keywords: electoral reform, electoral systems, elections, voting

Stronger Democracy Platform

This election-time platform puts forward nine actions that are practical and simple, and can be accomplished within the first year of a new Parliament.

Keywords: Parliament, democracy, political leadership

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Legacy programming:

This now-retired contest celebrated Canada’s advocates, educators, organizers, mobilizers, and volunteers whose work gives life to our democracy.

This engagement program, including election module Vote PopUp, has moved to the Democratic Engagement Exchange at Ryerson University.

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From our blog:

April 03, 2020

COVID-19: An Update from our Executive Director

During this crisis, our team is working to monitor Canada’s democracy in a state of emergency, understand democratic representation in a time of physical distancing, and support civic education and knowledge translation remotely.
April 02, 2020

Parliament Under Pressure: Evaluating Parliament’s performance in response to COVID-19 (Summary)

With Parliament set to convene once again to pass additional COVID-19 measures, we present an evaluation of Parliament’s first two rounds of emergency lawmaking, highlighting what our national legislature and leaders got right and what they got wrong.
March 23, 2020

The psychology behind bad online arguments

It’s hard to disagree civilly and constructively. Social media makes it that much harder. This blog post explores nine obstacles to better online political conversations and shares proven ways to overcome them.
March 17, 2020

COVID-19: A Special Message from our Executive Director

The spread of COVID-19 is a powerful reminder that our democratic system is the responsibility of all Canadians. To learn how the Samara Centre is adjusting to these new realities, continue reading.