Born in the Montérégie region in 2004, Hooked on School Days (HSD) are today celebrated right across Quebec. Spread across the province by the Réseau québécois pour la réussite éducative, the event is shepherded in all 17 regions and in Nunavik by Quebec’s 18 regional consulting authorities (RCA) on school perseverance.
So for 20 years now, HSD has been a time to mobilize and raise awareness of how important it is to help young people persevere and succeed at school.
HSD takes place in the third week of February, a point in the school year when students can experience a drop in energy and motivation. This important event is an opportunity for Quebec society to encourage students and boost their motivation.
HSD invites all stakeholders to join the movement to promote school perseverance and educational success in Quebec.
Let’s take a look back at 20 incredible years of mobilization.
2004–2014: mobilization gradually spreads to the regions
Though born in 2004 in the Montérégie, HSD gradually spread throughout Quebec. In 2008 Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean celebrated HSD for the first time. In 2009, the Gaspésie–Îles-de-la-Madeleine and Lanaudière regions held their first HSD event. In 2010, three new regions joined the party: Estrie, Mauricie, and Outaouais. In 2011, HSD came to Montréal, Bas-Saint-Laurent, Centre-du-Québec, and Nord-du-Québec. Chaudière-Appalaches joined the movement 2013, Abitibi-Témiscamingue in 2014, and Laval in 2017.
Today, all 17 regions of Quebec and Nunavik celebrate HSD every year. Such strong mobilization province-wide has been possible thanks to the engagement of Quebec’s RCAs: Action Réussite Abitibi-Témiscamingue; Communauté ouverte et solidaire pour un monde outillé, scolarisé et en santé (COSMOSS); IRC de la Capitale-Nationale (IRC-CN); Table régionale de l’éducation Centre-du-Québec (TRECQ); Partenaires pour la réussite éducative en Chaudière-Appalaches (PRÉCA); Réussite – Accomplissement – Persévérance Côte-Nord (RAP Côte-Nord); R3USSIR Éducation Emploi Estrie; Complice – Persévérance scolaire Gaspésie—Les Îles; Comité régional pour la valorisation de l’éducation (CREVALE); Partenaires pour la réussite éducative dans les Laurentides (PREL); Regroupement lavallois pour la réussite éducative (RLPRE); Table régionale de l’éducation de la Mauricie (TREM); IRC Montérégie; Réseau réussite Montréal (RRM); Groupe neurones; ESUMA; Table Éducation Outaouais (TÉO); and Conseil régional de prévention de l’abandon scolaire (CRÉPAS).
2010 and 2016: school perseverance proudly on display
To spread the word about HSD and provide more stakeholders with ways to show support for the cause, the school perseverance ribbon was created in 2010.
An initiative of CREVALE, the green-and-white ribbon has been a symbol of school perseverance across Quebec since 2010. Green symbolizes youth and hope – the students who benefit from daily recognition and acknowledgement to persevere. White, a blend of all colours, is a metaphor for the community that helps young people develop. The crossed ribbons illustrate the bond that unites them. The loop, open to infinity, is the promise of a better future.
The ribbon expresses a value held and a commitment to school perseverance. Every year, people who care about school perseverance proudly wear the ribbon to show their mobilization and support for the cause. To date, over 1,400,000 ribbons have been distributed in Quebec.
In 2016, the HSD flag was introduced. Since then, it has been proudly distributed and flown in various Quebec municipalities.
2016: the first unified Quebec-wide campaign
In 2014, RQRE launched the first province-wide campaign, and then in 2016, the RQRE and the regional consulting authorities jointly conducted the first unified campaign, with the theme, “Be a SUPERHERO. Staying in school is everyone’s business.”
Since then, the RQRE has spearheaded an annual Quebec-wide campaign, implemented regionally by the 18 RCAs
2019: a galvanizing spokesperson
In 2019, Laurent Duvernay-Tardif came on board as the spokesperson of HSD. A true model of perseverance, Laurent shares his inspiring journey and reminds us that taken together, many small gestures from the people around a student can give them wings. From the very first year, Laurent toured numerous activities, and since then, he has answered the bell every year to promote HSD.
In 2021, he organized the first edition of the “Meetup with Laurent Duvernay-Tardif and guests” event, which has since become one of the campaign highlights. In 2024, the meetup will take place live at the Colisée de Trois-Rivières in front of 2,500 students, with another 100,000 attending online.
For 20 years, HSD has been initiating dialogue within the community and giving people multiple forums to express themselves about the roles we all play in creating the best possible conditions for young Quebec students of all ages to succeed and achieve their potential.
Together, let’s continue to support and promote HSD. For a better future, perseverance is always in the present tense.