Winnipeg School Division, Bear Clan partner to get students involved in neighbourhood patrols

Bear Clan is the newest club in the Winnipeg School Division, joining the ranks of extracurriculars ranging from basketball teams to LGBTTQ+ alliances.

None of the lunchtime or after-school activities at R.B. Russell Vocational School had stood out to Kaylan Wellwood before the spring.

It was then the now-Grade 12 student first joined a North End patrol, alongside peers, teachers and community advocates clad in high-visibility vests.

The smiles of neighbours who accepted their food and water bottle donations stuck with him, the 18-year-old said.

“Things I’ve learned is just: help those who need support, care and love,” added Wellwood, who has become a full-fledged member of Bear Clan, both at R.B. Russell and after the bell.

WSD and the Indigenous-led organization, which has a peacekeeping mission using a non-confrontational and harm-reduction approach, are partnering to help more students find a sense of belonging at school and volunteer in their community.

R.B. Russell, located at 364 Dufferin Ave., is running daytime patrols every other Tuesday afternoon.

Children of the Earth High School launched a similar collaboration last week that will see teens invited to craft upcycle mittens and patrol on Thursdays for the remainder of the academic year.

“It’ll be almost like a chess club or a drama club or a dance club or a music club,” said Kevin Walker, executive director of Bear Clan Patrol Inc., following an introductory assembly at the Salter Street high school that simultaneously delivers academic and cultural education.

“It’s important that kids have some pride in the community, pride in being together as a group, all working together, and getting them introduced to some of the challenges and some of the struggles in the community.”

Walker said he and his colleagues from the charity want to be more visible in schools on a regular basis, serving as mentors and older-sibling-like figures students can lean on for advice.

The goal is to show local youth how to be compassionate and empathetic, and empower them to make a difference, he said.

“They’re going to be the next generation to fix the problems. Why do we have relatives freezing in bus shacks? We should be able to figure that out,” the executive director said.

Bear Clan, initially started in 1992 by community-minded residents who led group walks in the inner city for several years, has grown exponentially since it was restarted in 2015.

There are now about 25 paid employees who oversee everything from fundraising to leading land-based education programs, per the latest report from the Canada Revenue Agency.

The charity collects individual donations and annual government funding. In 2022, it raised upwards of $900,000.

Teacher Will Jones inquired about formalizing a relationship between R.B. Russell and Bear Clan in the 2023-24 winter term after participating in a patrol with his rotary club.

Jones sought advice from a former teacher at the school who’d introduced students to Bear Clan during her tenure, and proceeded to make some calls.

More than 200 students took part in a patrol in June. Attendance fluctuates, but there have been about 10 regulars showing up this autumn to make sandwiches to distribute, talk to residents and walk around.

“Students are now coming to me and saying, ‘Will, can I go out with you?’ As long as they’ve got a signed consent form from their parents or guardian, then they can come,” said the teacher supervisor who has been seeking donations wherever possible.

Local workwear brand Tough Duck donated 200 vests. The vocational school’s graphics department is working on a custom R.B. Russell-Bear Clan crest for each one.

Manitoba’s largest school division and Bear Clan are leveraging each other as community organizations with similar interests, superintendent Matt Henderson said.

“We’re both committed to creating just, sustainable and healthy societies and part of that is through education and experiential education,” he said, noting Elmwood High School is preparing to join forces with Bear Clan.

As for their neighbours in the community, many of whom are experiencing homelessness and food insecurity, Jones said he’s seen firsthand the gratitude for simple conversations sparked by students.

“There’s a lot of people that will just walk past the people (accessing social services) on Main Street and don’t give them the time of day,” said Jones, a supported education teacher at R.B. Russell.

“Our kids are stopping. They’re saying, ‘Hi.’ They’re talking with them, and they’re learning that they are people, people with their own stories.”