Cassandra Brien

Background

About Cassandra Brien

I am an educator that is passionate for the underdogs, those who tend to slip through the cracks, those who need a little more support than others, those who are dealing with life events beyond their ability to cope.From a young age I have been an advocate for myself and others. Starting with a speech in Grade 7 where I criticized the way students treated their classmates with disabilities, that ended up being presented to the entire school, and district representatives. This continued as I advocated for my younger brothers, both of whom were underestimated because of other people's perceptions of their ADHD and/or Autism. In University, I spoke and volunteered passionately in the community with LGBTQ youth, and youth with disabilities to find the resources they needed to feel safe, respected and successful at post-secondary.Today I am an educator at an Alternative program that focuses on youth more holistically than mainstream school programs. Previously I designed and implemented the classroom environment in a brand new program that supports youth (13-18 years) with mental health and substance abuse issues in a 10-bed unit called the Carlile Youth Concurrent Disorders Unit. I learned in the first few years as a TOC that I still love the underdogs, and don't necessarily believe that the best learning is done in the classroom. Sometimes these students need other environments to be successful. I have been gravitating to those positions that allow me to teach outside the classroom. Outdoor school programs, Alternate programs, Individualized learning programs, On-line learning, Anxiety support programs, Autism specific programs etc. Specializations: LGBTQ support, Alternate Education, Youth-at-Risk, Mental Health, Education, relationship-building, social justice, advocacy, nonprofits, fundraising, marketing development, facilitation, time management, organization skills and project management.