About our Organization
We are a volunteer organization of practicing History and Social Science teachers in Ontario’s elementary and secondary schools. We have been serving our members since 1978.
We have a wide membership in Ontario’s English public and Catholic systems as well as in its various private schools. We work closely with our sister association, Association des enseignants et des enseignantes de sciences humaines de l’Ontario (AESHO) to support History and Social Science teachers in the Francophone public and Catholic systems in Ontario.
We also work closely with the Ontario History, Humanities and Social Science Consultants’ Association (OHHSSCA), and the Ontario Elementary Social Studies Teachers’ Association (OESSTA). We work with all subject associations in Ontario through the Ontario Teachers’ Federation Curriculum Forum.
We work together to support our members in teaching History, Economics, Law, Politics, Civics, and the Social Sciences and Humanities. We do this through our annual fall conference, our blog and newsletters, and our social media channels. We hold annual summer institutes through the Ontario Teachers’ Federation (OTF), and we create curriculum supports by and for our members.
We have been an integral partner in the development and implementation of Ontario’s curriculum over many decades. We support inquiry learning and disciplinary thinking in our curriculum and classrooms. We believe that inquiry approaches can inspire all of our learners in History and the Social Sciences.
We participated in recent updates to the mandatory History curriculum to better support education for reconciliation. We support further action by members, school boards and ministries of education to ensure that we are fully addressing the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Calls to Action, especially #62 and #63. We believe that our members have an important role in learning and sharing with our students the historical and contemporary truths of First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples in Canada. As an association, we are committed to building respectful relationships so that we can continue this work together.
We are a member of the Social Studies Educators’ Network of Canada – Réseau pour l’enseignement des sciences sociales du Canada (SSENC/RESSC), a newly-formed national network of social studies teachers’ associations across Canada. We collaborate with other subject associations in Ontario through the Ontario Teachers’ Federation (OTF).
OHASSTA Executive 2024-25
The OHASSTA / AESHO executive are volunteers who serve for one year (renewable). The year begins at the Annual General Meeting in the fall.
If you are interested in serving on the executive, please Contact Us to express your interest in the late summer/early fall of the year.
| Name | Role | Board |
| Sarah Murdoch | President | Niagara DSB |
| Butch Rickeard | 1st Vice President Partnerships, membership | Greater Essex |
| Meghan Cameron | 2nd Vice President Conference Co-Chair Ontario Historical Society liaison | Grand Erie DSB |
| Rachel Collishaw | Past president | Elections Canada |
| Zoe Flatman | Co-Treasurer | Retired TDSB |
| Jan Haskings | Co-Treasurer | Retired TDSB |
| Raman Sarai | Secretary, OESSTA liaison | Toronto DSB |
| Valérie Lanoue | Présidence, AESHO FEO représentante | Conseil scolaire catholique Providence |
| Vanessa Caddel | Mailchimp, Alternate SSENC representative | Rainbow DSB |
| Melissa Chan | Conference co-chair | Elections Canada |
| Luis Filipe | OJEN liaison | Toronto DSB |
| Diane Vautour | SSENC representative | Toronto Catholic DSB |
| Yves Durocher | Directeur, AESHO, représentant du RESSC | Conseil scolaire catholique Providence |
| Valérie Emond | Directrice, AESHO | Conseil des écoles catholiques du Centre-Est |
| Leigh MacDonald | Director, alternate secretary | Simcoe County DSB |
| Christina Iorio | Website Social media | York Catholic District School Board |
| Lisa Korteweg | Faculty of Education liaison | Lakehead University Thunder Bay |
| Melissa Bedarf | Directrice, AESHO | Durham Catholic District School Board |
| Allan Hux | Director emeritus, OHHSSCA representative | Retired |
| Craig Phillips | Director | York Catholic District School Board |
Stay up to date by following our social media:
OHASSTA participated in updates to the mandatory History curriculum in Ontario (2018) to better support education for reconciliation.
We support further action by members, school boards and ministries of education to ensure that we are fully addressing the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Calls to Action, especially #62 and #63.
We believe that our members have an important role in learning and sharing with our students the historical and contemporary truths of First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples in Canada. As an association, we are committed to building respectful relationships so that we can continue this work together.
Photo from the Canadian Museum of History.
The following is an excerpt from the Calls to Action #62 and #63 from The Truth and Reconciliation Commission Calls to Action. We call upon all Canadians to understand our shared histories and to work to take action for reconciliation.
Education for Reconciliation
- We call upon the federal, provincial, and territorial governments, in consultation and collaboration with Survivors, Aboriginal peoples, and educators, to:
i. Make age-appropriate curriculum on residential schools, Treaties, and Aboriginal peoples’ historical and contemporary contributions to Canada a mandatory education requirement for Kindergarten to Grade Twelve students.
ii. Provide the necessary funding to post-secondary institutions to educate teachers on how to integrate Indigenous knowledge and teaching methods into classrooms.
iii. Provide the necessary funding to Aboriginal schools to utilize Indigenous knowledge and teaching methods in classrooms.
iv. Establish senior-level positions in government at the assistant deputy minister level or higher dedicated to Aboriginal content in education. - We call upon the Council of Ministers of Education, Canada to maintain an annual commitment to Aboriginal education issues, including:
i. Developing and implementing Kindergarten to Grade Twelve curriculum and learning resources on Aboriginal peoples in Canadian history, and the history and legacy of residential schools.
ii. Sharing information and best practices on teaching curriculum related to residential schools and Aboriginal history.
iii. Building student capacity for intercultural understanding, empathy, and mutual respect.
iv. Identifying teacher-training needs relating to the above.
OHASSTA / AESHO is pleased to partner with researchers, like-minded associations, organizations, and institutions to support our members and advocate for history and social science education in Ontario and in Canada.
Social Studies Educators Network of Canada
SSENC / RESSC is an umbrella organization of Canadian provincial and territorial social studies teachers’ networks and associations. OHASSTA / AESHO is a member. Founded in 2019, SSENC / RESSC seeks to advocate for social studies education across Canada, facilitate networking and cooperation among social studies educators, and engage with public institutions, private interests, and non-government institutions in the development and implementation of policies and/or resources related to social studies education across Canada.
Thinking Historically for Canada’s Future
Launched in 2018 and funded by the Social Science and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC), Thinking Historically for Canada’s Future – Penser historiquement pour l’avenir du Canada is a 7-year, cross-Canada research project led by Dr. Carla Peck at the University of Alberta.
The/La Collaborative
Launching in 2020, OHASSTA has been working with Dr. Sandra Lapointe at McMaster University to create an effective platform to connect students and teachers meaningfully with post-secondary experts to support inquiry learning. The/La Collaborative is a major sponsor of the OHASSTA-AESHO annual conference.
Ontario Justice Education Network
OHASSTA is a long time partner of the Ontario Justice Education Network. OJEN provides experiential learning and curriculum resources related to law and justice in Ontario in both English and French.
Ontario History, Humanities and Social Science Consultants’ Association
They provide networking and support for consultants and coaches with a responsibility for our subject areas. There are many resources available on their website.
Ontario Elementary Social Studies Teachers’ Association
They provide many excellent social studies resources for elementary teachers and we have a longstanding relationship.
Ontario History, Humanities and Social Science Consultants’ Association
They provide networking and support for consultants and coaches with a responsibility for our subject areas. There are many resources available on their website.
The Association for Canadian Studies
A non-profit organization that aims to bring educators and scholars together from across Canada.
The L.R. Wilson Institute for Canadian History, McMaster University
Partnering with scholars to provide summer learning for educators in Canadian History.
Please contact us for more information or to learn how you can be involved.
| Your membership helps us continue as an organization working on your behalf. Members will get exclusive opportunities to participate in “members only” webinars and perks from our sponsors and partners. Membership also gets you a discount to our annual conference. |
OHASSTA is a non-profit voluntary organization. If you like the work that we do, the resources we provide, and the advocacy work we do on behalf of history and social science teachers please consider supporting us. Consider supporting us as a department or as an individual.
- Individual Annual Membership — TBD
- Departmental Annual Membership — TBD – individual memberships for 3 members of the same department
Thank you for considering supporting us in the fight to keep history and social sciences a vibrant part of education in Ontario.