What inspires a person to run for office? What skills do they need if they win the job? Is the House of Commons a ‘good’ workplace?
Is the House of Commons an effective workplace? Would these MPs do it all over again if they could speak to their younger, pre-MP selves?
These questions and many more are explored in the Samara Center for Democracy’s 6-episode podcast series Humans of the House and 2-part series in French, Les Personnages de la Chambre. Former Members of Parliament share the good, the bad and the ugly about their time on Parliament Hill in a series of exit interviews.
Each episode includes interviews and insight covering themes such as the decision to run for office, on-the-job learning, toxicity in the workplace, party loyalty, and barriers to working effectively while in office.
In addition to the words of MPs themselves, producer Sabreena Delhon and her colleagues provide background information about the work and lives of those we elect to the House of Commons.
The Samara Center partnered with the Social Studies Educators Network of Canada to develop learning resources for teachers to use in their classrooms. Each episode features:
- a glossary of key terms
- pre-listening activities to engage students
- listening and enrichment activities
Check out the podcast Humans of the House to find out for yourself, and get the learning resources to engage your students!
Once you’ve tried out the resources, the Samara Centre wants to hear your feedback on how it went with your students!
