Montreal elementary school teacher promotes inclusivity through skateboarding

When Marie-milie Gagn started skateboarding three years ago, it was one of the most challenging and rewarding experiences of her life.

She was amazed by the perseverance of the people skateboarding around her. As an elementary school teacher at cole Saint-Louis-De-Gonzague in Montreal's Plateau-Mont-Royal borough, she noticed that learning in the classroom and at the skatepark were not so different.

"When you do a trick and you get it, the feeling you get is the same as when you get a [good grade]," Gagn said.

She started teaching skateboarding to 15 students from grades 3 to 6 at her school every Wednesday at lunch. The positive effects were almost immediate.

"I saw that going to the skateboard classes helped them in the regular classes," said Gagn, who teaches Grade 5. "They were more than happy to go to school. They were more focused on classes."

Some students even started getting better grades.

She asked local skate parks and skateboarding companies to build a ramp and other obstacles, and the school provided funding for knee pads, elbow pads, helmets and boards.

Students with ADHD and other learning disabilities thrive during the lunchtime sessions, held in the school gym and sometimes in the schoolyard when the weather is appropriate, Gagn said.

She says the creative and physical nature of the sport helps them focus.

Since Gagn was a beginner when she started the program, the exchange was mutually beneficial student and teacher became equals on their boards.

"I'm 37 years old and an 11-year-old is my equal because we feel the same way about that sport," she said.

Gagnsaid she has always been impressed by the skateboarding scene's inclusivity and diversity. Those qualities in the community are key in developing the perseverance necessary to be a skateboarder, she says.

The public school is located in an area where incomes are split between low and high, and students whose parents couldn't afford to buy them skate gear get to participate.

"You don't see the difference in skateboarding," Gagn said.

Gagn wants more women and girls to get involved in the traditionally male-dominated sport. The fact that she's the one teaching them makes a difference, she says.

"I don't think there would be as many girls if it was a man that was teaching skateboarding," Gagn said. "I'm happy to be the one to teach them. Girls can be confident to go into it."

One of those girls is 11-year-old Adlie Tremblay. She took a skateboarding class with Gagn when she was in Grade 4, and hasn't stopped since.

She says the welcoming nature of the sport is what keeps her coming back.

"Everybody's so friendly. They always help you with stuff, they don't judge you," Adlie said. "You can just ask for help, like, 'Hey, can you help me improve my ollies?' And they just help you."

Tremblay regularly attends Le Taz skatepark's Wednesday night sessions, where women and girls get in for half price.

Gagn wants more schools to try incorporating skateboarding into their extracurricularactivities.

"I just want to have more schools ... do this because it's so good for the kids."