The Toronto District School Board and the Ontario Ministry of Education have created many policies and programs focused on getting along well. Our common values and aims include:

- the dignity, worth, and individual needs and diverse social identities of every child

- reinforcing a culture of fairness, equity, anti-oppression, human rights and social justice

- building a culture of trust, and a sense of belonging, with an emphasis on supporting positive behaviour and joint problem-solving.

- effectively promoting the values and skills needed for a healthy, inclusive, accepting, peaceful, responsible, and democratic society

- challenging unconscious bias, creating, maintaining, and promoting communities free from discrimination and harassment, where all feel welcome and are included and respected

- to ensure that students and/or readers of Gnarly's Journey feel that they belong, are heard, accepted, safe, supported, and cared for through the creation of positive climates that reflect themselves, value their voices, and foster a culture of mutual respect and healthy relationships

- to highlight environments that embed principles of equity, anti-oppression, anti-racism, acceptance and inclusion, and support the safety, dignity, health, and well-being of all

We at Old York Publishing believe that Gnarly's Journey can make a significant contribution toward helping elementary school-aged students become more comfortable with themselves, and with others, giving them positive words and actions to use - to head off isolation and bullying before they become entrenched.