Resources for students

One Life…Many Gifts is a curriculum resource to educate senior secondary school students about the vital importance of organ and tissue donation and transplantation. It brings to life the drama, generosity and the life-saving promise of donation and transplantation. Though developed in Ontario, these materials may be suitable for use in other regions.

A collection of transplant stories for students in Saskatchewan to complement an organ and tissue donation lesson plan or in class presentation.

Life is a Gift is a Grade 11 biology resource for organ donation and transplantation developed by the Transplant Manitoba - Gift of Life Program and Manitoba Education.

Chain of Life is a comprehensive school-based ESL and English Language Arts program with a mission to educate youth ages 15–17 about organ and tissue donation. Developed in the province of Quebec, Chain of Life may be suitable for adapting in other jurisdictions.

The Orgamites is a global program for 6- to 11-year-olds Through the inspired use of creative tools, toys and tech, we hope to empower grown-ups to talk to their kids, and kids to talk to their grown-ups, about organ donation and healthy living.

Sacred Gift tells the powerful true story of two First Nations brothers, Kevin, a kidney transplant recipient, and his brother, Craig, who chose to become his living donor. The animation delves into Kevin’s journey, beginning with his early experiences as a pediatric patient and the impact that kidney failure had on his life.

Cette trousse éducative est une invitation à la bienveillance envers soi-même, envers les autres et envers la planète. Imaginez un monde où chacun ferait le choix d’être un peu plus bienveillant…

Orgtober, formerly known as October, will be sweeping into primary school classrooms and calendars across the country. While the normal education curriculum will not be affected, this supplementary campaign seeks to breathe new life into organ donation education by starting earlier, getting more families talking, celebrating the fundamental values that underpin organ donation (kindness, compassion, and inclusivity), and having loads of fun while doing all of this!

An 8-minute educational introduction to the Mighty Orgamites and all they do.

The Orgamites are a colourful team of animated organs that represent the most-donated parts of the body, designed to speak to children 6-11 years old.

A set of 8 mini films about each of our Mighty Orgamites and 16 Did You Know facts about our Mighty organs.

Donor Heroes are Superheroes launched in 2022 as a children’s activity book teaching about organ, eye and tissue donation. It also helps explain the concept of donation to children who have lost donor loved ones. The aim is to provide copies to organizations and individuals promoting donation at cost (plus shipping). They offer English and Spanish editions with editions in other languages in the works. The book features real-life donor heroes.

Green Shirt Day is an opportunity to generate class discussions on organ donation, inspire action from students, and participate in a meaningful cross-Canada initiative. Learn about how you can spark a movement at your school on Green Shirt Day.

Organ donation is an incredible gift. A number of things have to happen in sequence and in a really specific way for a person to become an organ donor.
Watch this video to learn how organ donation works in Canada.

Thanks to the generosity of an organ donor and their family, Dylan received a life-saving heart transplant. In September of 2021, after a long and challenging recovery, Dylan stepped back onto the court in his last year of high school at Ridley College to pursue his dream of obtaining a Division 1 scholarship and becoming the first player ever to do so with a donated heart. We are grateful to Dylan and his family for sharing their journey and for recognizing the great need for raising awareness about the powerful impact of organ donation and encouraging families to learn about and talk about this life-saving gift.

This short film was produced by Game Seven Media in association with Ridley College.

The ant who needed a transplant is a touching story that embraces the themes of empathy, altruism, and compassion. It is meant to intrigue the imagination of children and help them learn how an act of kindness can save a life.

Captain Marrow and the Orgamites explain who the real Superheroes are — Organ Donors! While reminding viewers about power of their "Mighty Organs" using concepts of recycling, upcycling and lifecycling. Superheroes Inside is a great complement to Teacher Toolkit #3 - The Mighty Kind Movement.

In this charming animated video, the Orgamites introduce five mighty simple ways to ensure kids stay mighty healthy. This video complements the Orgamites' Teacher Toolkit #2 - Let's Get Mighty Healthy.

Young creatives are invited to submit short videos (from15 seconds to three minutes) about organ donation. The competition is open to students ages 12-18 years in Canada & U.S. All accepted submissions will be entered into a draw for prizes for budding creators. The top submissions will be awarded up to $1,000. Up to $30,000 available. The deadline for submissions is March 10, 2023.

For teachers and students in Newfoundland and Labrador: Three transplant recipient stories to complement your classroom activities and lesson plan on organ donation and transplantation. 

In 2021, Nova Scotia became the first jurisdiction in North America to adopt a deemed consent model for organ donation. This resource page compiles links to transplant and donation stories and information specific to Nova Scotia. Include local stories in your lesson plan on organ donation and transplantation or bring the concept of deemed consent into your classroom discussions.

An Orgamites poster showing where each of our organs are located in the body.

Connecting DOTS | Donation & Organ Transplantation for Schools is an online platform dedicated to educating schoolchildren on donation and organ transplantation. It provides information for teachers, students and their families and is based on a program first developed in the Netherlands.

Find out which are the organs and tissues that are most often donated to patients in need of transplant.

Learn about organ transplantation - what it is, how it can save lives, how your immune system responds, and how the matching process works.