RDP kicks off Pride Week with flag raising ceremony

Red Deer Polytechnic (RDP), the Students’ Association, and the PRIDE on Campus Student Group are hosting a series of events in support of members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community during Pride Week, from March 24 to 29.  

Festivities began today with a Pride Flag Raising Ceremony on RDP’s main campus.  

Other events included a Pride Fair, pin and Dreamcatcher making, along with discussions and workshops including topics such as allyship, intersectionality, and peer support.  

"At RDP, we want to ensure that everyone feels safe to be who they are, without fear. The institution’s campuses belong to all of us and should be places where one’s personal truth is celebrated,” said Jacq Patterson, President of the Students’ Association of Red Deer Polytechnic. "Each individual within the 2SLGBTQIA+ community brings a unique perspective to our campuses. Their stories enrich our student body in ways that make us all better. The diversity of experiences and identities within the 2SLGBTQIA+ community are essential. It helps us foster creativity, empathy, and understanding, shaping a more inclusive environment for all of us."  

Week-long activities include:  

• Opportunities for people to make friendship bracelets and other crafts   

• Writing a message to an individual’s younger self to be added to a patchwork quilt.  

• The Gary W. Harris Canada Games Centre on the main campus will be illuminated in rainbow colours each night.  

• Books and resources will be available at RDP’s Library Book Display.  

RDP, the Students’ Association, and the PRIDE on Campus Student Group have partnered to host Pride Week in March recognizing that more students are studying on campus during this time of year than during the summer months.    

“We are excited to co-host this series of Pride Week events with our partners in the Students’ Association,” said Lindsay Engel, Vice President, Academic and Student Success at Red Deer Polytechnic. “Together, we all play a role in creating a teaching and learning environment in which our students, faculty, and staff who are members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community feel represented. Pride Week represents another opportunity on our campuses for meaningful dialogue and greater understanding among our Polytechnic community members to learn with, and from one another.”  

 **With information provided by Red Deer Polytechnic  

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