An Abundance of April Awareness Months

With each new month, there are accompanying causes that deserve our collective awareness to acknowledge and provide support for. In April, we celebrate and recognize Earth Month/Day, World Health Month/Day, World Autism Acceptance Month, World Malaria Day, and more!

Earth Month/Day

April is a time to celebrate the beauty of the Earth and take action to protect our planet. Earth Day started as a movement in the US in the 1970s, and it has grown into the world’s largest civic event. Every year, leaders and activists all around the world join together to discuss solutions to our growing climate and environmental crisis.

What are some things Ridley can and are doing for Earth Month?

• Try using less single-use water bottles
• Don’t litter on campus!!
• Take time to recycle properly
• Take shorter showers
• Try to limit food deliveries
• Try a meatless Monday

World Autism Acceptance Month

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a developmental neurological disability that can affect anyone regardless of race, gender, and socioeconomic condition. The term autism spectrum refers to the wide range of manifestations and characteristics that autism can have on different people. Autism can lead to difficulties in social interaction and communication. More than 75 million individuals are autistic worldwide, and yet autism is often misunderstood, stigmatized, and discriminated against.

Starting from World Autism Acceptance Day on April 2, April is a month meant to be in support of the respect and full realization of rights and freedoms for autistic individuals.

World Malaria Day

In 2022 alone, there were almost 250 million reported cases of malaria worldwide. Malaria is a deadly disease that is spread by mosquito bites that disproportionately impact tropical and subtropical countries. Malaria symptoms typically include shakes, chills, and high fever, and it can be fatal if not properly treated. However, with proper diagnosis and prompt treatment, malaria is curable.

This year’s theme for World Malaria Day is “Health Equity, Gender and Human Rights.” World Malaria Day is all about spreading awareness about the need for supporting access to healthcare in malaria-endemic societies. This year’s theme highlights how the fight against malaria can be detrimental to specific individuals, like pregnant individuals.

International Asexuality Day

Asexuality or “Ace” is an umbrella term for individuals who lack or describe occasional experiences of sexual attraction. The term includes those who identify as asexual, demisexual, grey-ace, and much more. While many ace individuals identify with the LGBTQIA+ community, they are often misunderstood, underrepresented, and ignored.

The world celebrates Asexuality Day on April 6. It is a reminder that asexuality is a completely valid expression of sexuality and that asexual individuals deserve respect and acceptance.

Arab Heritage Month

Arab Heritage Month is a special time for Arab Canadians to exhibit and celebrate their culture. It is also a month of learning for the general public on some of the hardship experienced by Arab individuals in Canada. Arab Heritage Month is about educating people about the customs and history of Arabs in Canada.

April has been declared as the official month of commemoration. The bill was passed in 2022 by the Parliament of Canada. This is an opportunity for everyone to come together and honour Arabs all across Canada.

Parkinson’s Awareness Month

Parkinson’s Awareness Month is a time to learn about Parkinson’s disease, mourn those who have been lost to it, and become educated on how to prevent it.

While the month of April is dedicated to raising awareness of the condition, April 11th is the official date for World Parkinson’s Day. This April 11th, the CN Tower, a famous Toronto landmark, shone red to support awareness of Parkinson’s in an event called “Light Up Canada.” There have been other events like the Sit-to-Stand Challenge inspired by how difficult this daily activity can be for someone living with Parkinson’s. To represent Canadians affected, people sat and stood up from their chairs as many times as they could in 24 hours.

Parkison’s disease affects more than 100,000 Canadians. Since it is so prominent we must know how to recognize its symptoms and know how to treat it to help others around us. This is what Parkinson’s Awareness Month is all about.

National Day of Mourning

The National Day of Mourning is a day set aside for people to process the loss of those who have passed or have become gravely injured while at work. This day isn’t solely for remembrance, though this is a large part of it. Another reason why it was established is to become aware of bettering health and safety at work.

The commemoration is held on April 28th. Some customs include lighting candles, having moments of silence, laying wreaths, and wearing ribbons/black armbands. In support, government buildings fly their Canadian flags at half-mast, offices will hold a moment of silence at 11 AM, and employees will share messages about working in a safer workplace.

This tradition began in 1991, eight years after Remembrance Day was launched. April 28 was officially named the National Day of Mourning. Ever since, April 28 has been a day of remembering those who have died and been injured at work, as well as a collective vow to make workplaces safer to prevent injuries in the future.

World Health Day

In celebration of World Health Day, we reached out to the Ridley Global Health Advocacy Club (GHA) to tell us more as well as what they have done in April in support.

“‘My Health. My Right.’ is this year’s theme for World Health Day (WHD). Held on April 7th, WHD celebrates the foundation of the World Health Organization (WHO). Essentially, this day seeks to emphasize global health awareness and promote equitable access to healthcare across the globe. WHD raises global issues regarding human rights and healthcare, urging collective action.

Within the Ridley Upper School community, the Global Health Advocacy Club took action by engaging the student body in a wide variety of amusing activities from April 8th to 12th. Ridley students and faculty were invited to participate in two raffles for a Hank’s or Amazon gift card (winners to be released in the ‘Community News’ tab). Trivia questions with prizes for each correct question regarding health pushed for education and critical thinking. Furthermore, students had a chance to take part in an educational video (on WHD) released in certain advisories. The highlight of the GHA Club’s events, however, was the fun roulette games that prompted participants to make one healthy choice to get a reward, with hundreds of dollars donated. Overall Global Health Day at Ridley was an exciting educational experience with students exemplifying proactive engagement in promoting health awareness. Through creative activities, members of the community had an opportunity to connect and the global issue of health equity.”

- Ines Ahrazem Valladolid ‘25 of the GHA

Check out Ridley’s GHA Club for more information or if you are interested in joining their club!