Welcome to the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board's A Community of Character website.  This website is still a work in progress but our goal is that it will one day be a space to share ideas and stories of different character development initiatives in our board.  Character development is the basis for all of our relationships and daily interactions. Therefore, this site will house several different ideas, links and resources related to both character development and to safe and caring schools.

Elia Saikaly was the keynote address at both Sir Wilfrid Laurier S.S. and Woodroffe H.S. for this year's Live the Change - OCDSB Youth Character Conference. Elia is an adventure filmmaker based in Ottawa.  His travels have taken him from the frigid Great White North to the desolate Sahara desert. He has been to Mt. Everest 3 times! Elia completed the work of his first film FINDINGLIFE, which shares his story of how one man, Dr. Sean Egan completely changed his life. Moved by the sudden death of Dr. Egan, Elia found himself reviewing his past and questioning his own life. Elia sold all his possessions, trained for months and then embarked on his own
 journey to 29,035 feet above sea level (his first attempt at climbing). 
Elia's incredible journey and message motivated over 4,000 OCDSB
youth to 'live' their change.