Our youth outreach program has been making waves across Edmonton schools. We're proud to share the progress of our music education workshops and how they're connecting young people with reggae culture and heritage.
Since launching our youth outreach program in early 2025, the Edmonton Reggae Festival Society has visited over 15 schools across the city, reaching more than 800 students with hands-on music education workshops rooted in reggae culture and Caribbean heritage.
The workshops are designed to be interactive and accessible, introducing students to the history of reggae music — from its roots in Jamaican ska and rocksteady through to the global movement it became under artists like Bob Marley, Burning Spear, and Toots and the Maytals. Students learn about the social and political context that gave birth to the genre, and how its messages of unity, resistance, and love remain relevant today.
Hands-on components include rhythm workshops using percussion instruments, call-and-response vocal exercises, and collaborative songwriting sessions. Several schools have invited us back for follow-up visits, and two schools have incorporated reggae history into their music curriculum as a direct result of our visits.
We are deeply grateful to the teachers, principals, and school boards who have welcomed us into their communities. This program would not be possible without the generous support of our donors and the City of Edmonton's community grant program. If you'd like to bring our workshop to your school or organization, please reach out through our Contact page.
Edmonton Reggae Festival Society
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