302: Sabotaging Self-Sabotage with Lauren Hortie of Oasis Skateboard Factory
- Diana Varma
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
Please close your eyes.
Now think back to a typical day in high school. That might have been in the distant past or perhaps more recently. What was it like? What did you spend your days doing and learning about? What did your classrooms look like and what did the system look like? Feel like?
For most of us in traditional high school environments, the structure of school—whether a mostly positive or negative experience—probably looked pretty similar. A teacher at the front of the room pushing knowledge mostly in one direction, and students working on projects or taking tests to prove their understanding of this knowledge. Repeat the cycle for each new topic and distinct subject area.
My high school experience was pretty great because of my friends, creative courses, and extracurricular experiences, but I can’t help but think how much richer the learning would have been in a set up like our guest shares today: Lauren Hortie from Oasis Skateboard Factory (aka. Skateboard High School), an alternative program in the Toronto District School Board. While this program is designed for students who at risk of failing in the typical education system, I couldn’t help but think about 16 year old me who got good grades in high school but who could have benefitted from a program like this. Said another way, hands-on experiential, community-engaged learning can and should be the rule and not just the exception.
I gained so much clarity and alignment with the conversation you’re about to hear. If you’re an educator, listen in, but it’s also for students and anyone who works in education systems of any kind. I learned a lot from Lauren (and her colleague, Erin’s) approach to integrated classroom experiences and removing artificial boundaries between “school” and “the outside world” that I believe so much traditional schooling gets wrong.
Themes of equity, access, and cultivating community connections are explored. Lauren shares how she and Erin work to cultivate an environment of experimentation, guts, and helping to sabotage self-sabotage. And you will hear the single best unofficial school motto I’ve ever heard.
A quick disclaimer that I think is important to state is that the opinions and ideas expressed are solely that of this alternative school, Oasis Skateboard Factory, and not necessarily reflective or representative of the TDSB as a whole.
I’m really excited to continue digesting this conversation long after initially recorded, and thinking about how I can invite more of these types of community-engaged opportunities to students at TMU.
Let’s listen in…
About Our Guest:
Lauren Hortie is an artist, DJ and educator based in Toronto. Lauren is the head teacher of the Oasis Skateboard Factory, an award winning Toronto District School Board alternative high school program where at-risk youth earn credits by running a small design business. She is the recipient of a OSSTF Secondary Teacher of the Year award for Ontario and a TDSB Excellence Award. As an artist Lauren works in variety of mediums including pen and ink illustration, printmaking, paper cutting and projections. She has been creating underground queer nightlife and culture for over 20 years, including the popular long running event “Steers & Queers Gay Ole Opry” which explores the intersection between rural and LGBTQ identities. Her work has been displayed at such venues as The Museum of Human Achievement in Austin Texas, ACE Art Winnipeg, The Gladstone Hotel, the Ontario Craft Council and the telephone pole across the street from your house.
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Music:
Bubbles ( Lofi , Bright , Relaxed ) by HoliznaCC0 is licensed under a CC0 1.0 Universal License.
Talk Paper Scissors Theme Music: Retro Quirky Upbeat Funk by Lewis Sound Production via Audio Jungle
