Citizenship Education

Manitoba Grants for Innovation in Citizenship Education

Project Descriptions 2009

Social Justice Spirit Week
Argyle Alternative High School – Grades 10 to 12

The Social Justice/Human Rights Group at Argyle Alternative High School created and executed a "Social Justice Spirit Week". This week consisted of four major whole school activities, with the aim of teaching our student body about human rights. On the first day, we called the school together and did an introduction to human rights, which consisted of a short overview of human rights, and a game called the "Penny Grab," which was meant to show the unequal distribution of wealth and power throughout the world. This distribution happens without the choice or consent of people living in different countries.

The second day was our largest event, a refugee simulation called "Passages." This simulation was created by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, and adapted for our school’s use by our student human rights group. Again, we called the students and staff of the school together, this time in the field outside our school. The simulation consisted of seven activities that showed students what it is like to be a refugee. The simulation began when the students and staff were randomly split up into groups and were given a "Family Data Sheet." This sheet told them who was in their family and a little bit about their situation. Some characters were injured, some orphaned, some had lost all of their children. Another activity involved the students being blindfolded, separated from their families, and having to find each other without being able to see. This was meant to simulate the experience of refugees in a war-torn country, where fighting in their town may separate them from family members, and dust and smoke may make it difficult to find each other. One activity had the students tightly packed in a marked off space, to show that they may not be able to find comfortable shelter on their way to a refugee camp. All of the activities acknowledged some part of the refugee experience. After the simulation was done, we had a debrief in which students spoke about how they felt, and gave suggestions for how the refugee simulation could be improved. The students said that they felt sad, shocked, guilty, and passionate about doing something for refugees.

On the third day of our Social Justice Spirit Week, the students were offered an opportunity to do something about what they had learned. Chol Kelei, one of the "Lost Boys and Girls of Sudan," came to speak to our school about his experience as a refugee. He spoke for 30 minutes, during which the students were absolutely fascinated and disturbed by what he had to say. Then he opened it up for questions and was flooded with insightful and interesting questions from the students. We had to cut the students off after almost an hour of questions. Things that students mentioned to me afterwards were Chol’s experience drinking water from dirty puddles because he was so thirsty, and going to school under a tree in the refugee camp.

On the fourth and final day, we held a "Hunger Banquet." This banquet intended to show the students how food is distributed unequally throughout the world, and how that is not the fault or choice of the people living in developing or developed countries. Students were divided up by birthday month, and were given three different colours of tickets based on their birthday month. Only five students were given a pink ticket, which led them to the most illustrious table in the "banquet hall." They had fine china, wine glasses, and silver cutlery, all laid out on a lace table cloth. Eight students got blue tickets, which led them to a table that was also nicely set, but not quite as nice as the pink one. The yellow tickets, which were given to the rest of the students, led students to a small marked off area in which they had to stand, tightly packed. The illustrious table got four bottles of pop, as much pizza as they could eat, and were waited on hand and foot. The second nicest table got four pizzas for the whole table, and two bottles of pop. The cordoned off area got a large bowl of rice, with no dishes or cutlery to eat it with. They were also made to wait for their food. We spoke with the students who had too much, and asked them how they felt. They felt guilty and wanted to share with the largest group. So did the second-best group. The largest group was frustrated, hungry, and jealous. Dave Colvinson from the Canadian Foodgrains Bank helped us to debrief this event by explaining to the students that this is what the world is really like. He gave them some information on food scarcity, and discussed with the students what they could do to help equalize food distribution throughout the world. Some ideas were to buy fair trade, to eat less and donate more to food banks and charities, and to advocate for developing countries with organizations like CIDA. After we had discussed everything, all of the students were offered pizza and pop, to show that food can be redistributed if we really put our minds to it.

This project helped the Human Rights Group to develop as citizens by offering them a vehicle with which to educate their fellow students, and through which to be disciplined in following through on something they were passionate about. The student body became educated about issues many of them had no idea about. These students are already passionate about local issues that affect them, so this project helped them to develop as global citizens who are passionate about creating a fair world for all people.

If I could do something differently, I would have advertised more at the beginning of the project. Some students said that they would have loved to help out if they knew that this project was being organized.

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P est pour Provencher
École Provencher – Grades 4 to 8

When we undertook our project, P est pour/is for Provencher, we felt that our school had a rich history and we wanted to be sure that everyone knew about it. We feel that our book has been a great success. P est pour/is for Provencher has captured the history of our school while involving all of the students and staff in a project they can be proud of for many years to come. As well, we feel that the finished product is of such good quality, that former students and staff may want to buy it.

We wanted to make an alphabetical book that would include the many historical and physical aspects of École Provencher, which is over 100 years old. We started by making a presentation to the staff to get their feedback and ideas, and also to ensure that all the staff were on board. Then, the teacher librarian went from class to class to present the idea to the students and brainstorm an alphabetical list. A committee of four staff members reviewed their ideas and made a final list that included a topic for every letter of the alphabet, some being in English and some in French, e.g. P is for/est pour Provencher, G est pour gymnase, Q is for quilt, etc.

We invited Larry Verstrate, author of the book G is for Golden Boy and the inspiration for our book, to come and speak to Grades 4-8 students about the writing process and the steps that he took to write the book. Classes were assigned letters and specific words to research. After doing their research, the classes wrote the text for their letters and a four-line poem. The divisional Art Consultant, Karen Geist, was consulted to assist us with the completion of the art for the book. She visited the school and modeled some ideas for the staff that were then shown by the teachers to their students. The committee then edited the text and submitted the final draft and artwork to Art Book Bindery for printing.

The process of putting the book together provided opportunities for the students to learn about the history of their school and community. It also provided them with a voice in creating this special document that will not only showcase their school’s history, but also their creativity, ideas and talents. This book has provided students with a final product that has made them proud of their efforts. The book also provides a permanent and professional documentation of the school’s history for posterity that will be in all of the school classrooms and community libraries.

In looking at the process, the only serious challenge that we faced was time. If we were to do it again, we would plan out the deadlines to provide more time for editing at the end.

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Self-Sustaining Student Documentary Project
Gimli High School – Grades 9 to 12

Summary of project activities:

• Formation of group of students interested in film, social justice issues, and positive change.
• Students determined what the main topic will be, which in this case was ‘inclusion of persons with disabilities’.
• Students determined what the main themes of the documentary would be: to explore: what it means to be disabled, different views on what inclusion is, what it is like to experience a disability and to experience exclusion, what is the current best practice in schools, whether persons with disabilities have a meaningful future after school, how these students are capable of more than what we ask of them, the difference between empathy and sympathy, how we notice disability first and the person second, the meaning of treating equally vs. treating the same, to mention a few.
• Students identified who they wanted to interview (parents, students, administration, community members, etc). Specific people were approached to be interviewed. Students also identified what visuals that they wanted to include to drive home the message.
• Randy Guest was invited in to spend 7 days filming with the students. He was careful to allow students to take the lead in terms of all content decisions, including all the filming, directing, producing, and interviewing. The interview questions were also constructed by the students.
• The next phase is the editing process. In our previous documentary on Homophobia this involved drawing on our student group to establish a general direction for the content, which was then taken by our film maker to create a rough documentary piece that we could view and react to. We then ask our students to give feedback that can be used to create the final product.

Strengths of project:

How did the project help students to develop as citizens?

• Upwards of 50 persons were involved in this project. It has far reaching engagement for a variety of persons.
• This project has the potential to impact the views and actions of hundreds of people.
• Students took leadership in ‘being the change’ with the documentary as their vehicle. They have taken responsibility for its success.
• Students with disabilities actually took the lead at various points during the project. I feel as though that made this venture very unique to what usually occurs in the school structure.

What you would do differently?

• We would have recruited more intensely to get a truer point/counterpoint documentary. That is something that is missing. We can still work at this during the editing process.
• I would have seen the landmines and avoided them (more on this upcoming).

Unanticipated results:

• On a positive note, I was happy with the amazing footage that we got while filming families and individual students with disabilities. Their voices come through loud and clear. There were many moments that were magical. I can’t wait for the documentary to be ready.
• I did not know when this topic was chosen that it would be as explosive as it was. Without breaching confidentiality, let’s just say that this project nearly imploded because of individual agendas and past histories involving a student, families, school staff, another school, and community members, none of which I was aware of. I was personally attacked for undertaking a project that for some was questioning the status quo, while for others did not question it enough. I had to postpone the project for months to help extinguish the fire. As a result many people have withdrawn from being interviewed due to fear mongering and misunderstanding. It has personally been a very trying and hurtful process. The issue has been addressed, but it is not resolved.

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Student Voice Group
Glenelm School – Grades 4 to 6

The Student Voice group is made up of 38 grade 4, 5, and 6 students. They have planned, done research, organized, and taught the rest of the school lots of information through their various monthly service projects.

In September, we had our first awareness-fundraising campaign. We partnered with Siloam Mission and asked them what they needed. They said they could use new socks for the homeless people that they help each day. The entire school used a curriculum put out by The Ladybug Foundation to raise awareness and empathy of the problem of homelessness. We collected 500 pairs of socks for Siloam Mission. The Student Voice team went on a tour of Siloam Mission.

In October, we had a plastic bag drive to collect plastic bags. The Student Voice group learned about how plastic bags are made and what they are made from. They learned about the damage that plastic bags do to animals and the environment. They presented this information to the other classes and then had their support to collect as many plastic bags as possible in a 1 week period. As a result, our school collected 863 plastic bags which were recycled into plastic Frisbees by BFI Canada. The Student Voice group also raked leaves for elderly community members that live close to our school. This activity further solidified our motto that everyone can do something to make someone else’s day better. We also had a reverse candy drive where students brought in their Halloween candy to share with children right here in the city that don’t get a chance to go out for Halloween. We raised 175 pounds of candy and gave half of it to St. Amant Centre and the other half to Ronald McDonald House. In October, we also supported Unicef. As a school we learned what life in Africa is like for children. We also learned what we could do to help and raised $510.78 for Unicef.

In November each class went on a tour of M.C.C. We learned that M.C.C. helps people in developing countries. After we toured their warehouse, we worked in an assembly line putting together school bags that held basic school supplies for children in these developing countries.

In December we had a garage sale of used items that students could buy as Christmas presents for their family members. This encouraged recycling of items and not throwing them into the landfill. We sold everything for 25 cents each. We gift wrapped all items for the students. In all, we raised $216.36. We gave the money to M.C.C. to support the programs that they run in developing countries.

In January we learned about landmines. We learned about what they are, how they get there, and the damage they do to people. We held a cookie sale to raise money for the Red Cross to help safely remove landmines. We asked two local grocery stores to help support our cookie sale, which they did by donating gift cards that we used to buy cookies. Many students made cookies to donate and almost all students bought a cookie. More importantly, they knew why they were buying these cookies. The earthquake hit Haiti just before the start of the cookie sale so the Student Voice group decided to give half the money towards relief in Haiti. We raised $299.78 for the Red Cross to support these two causes.

In February, each class went to Winnipeg Harvest. We learned what Winnipeg Harvest does and then went into the warehouse to pack boxes of potatoes. In all, the school donated 202 pounds of canned food. We packed 11,250 pounds of potatoes. This helped feed 1,455 families right here in Winnipeg.

In March, the Student Voice group teamed up with a Canadian soldier who lived in our community. He talked to each class about his time in Afghanistan. Each student wrote a letter to a Canadian soldier serving overseas in nine different countries. So far we have received responses from soldiers serving in Haiti, Kosovo, and Afghanistan. The school also participated in a pie eating contest. We sold tickets for 25 cents and then drew six names from each room. These students would eat pie against each other and then against staff members. We donated all the money we raised to The Children’s Hospital Foundation of Winnipeg to help sick children. We raised $251.12.

In April, Student Voice members took a tour of the blue box recycling plant in Winnipeg. We learned about what happens to all the things that are placed into our blue boxes. After the tour, the Student Voice members came back to school to educate the rest of the school. For Earth Week, we read out recycling facts to the school each morning. We also had a Trash Math Question of the Day. Students could work on it on their own or at home with their parents and then enter their answer for prize draws each day.

In May, the school participated in a community clean up. Each class would be responsible for cleaning a different street in our community. As well, the Student Voice group began to learn about clean drinking water and the lack of it in some parts of the world. They are getting ready to involve the school in the last fundraiser-awareness campaign of the year. We will work with a Canadian organization called Watercan. They bring clean drinking water and sanitation facilities to villages in Africa.

In conclusion, the school has been involved in many different service projects this year that had both a local and international focus. What remained the same was the idea that everyone can do something, even something small to make someone else’s day better.

Strengths of Projects:
The various projects that our school participated in focused the students’ attention to the fact that they have plenty of things to be thankful for. The projects gave them the opportunity to help someone else. The projects also opened their eyes to the fact that most of the world does not live the same way that they do.

What you would do differently?
I would involve more parents with their children in future projects. I took along 3 parents on our tour of Siloam Mission. None of the parents had been there before and were unaware of what Siloam Mission does.

Unanticipated Results:
As the Student Voice group planned out each event, we were unsure as to whether or not the rest of the school and the community would fully participate in it. We hoped that there would be full engagement and we were always pleasantly surprised by the level of excitement and curiosity around each project.

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The Gift of Kindness
Hamiota Collegiate – Grades 6 to 12

The Grade 12 class at Hamiota Collegiate led “The Gift of Kindness” project. At the beginning of the school year, the group of 25 students was approached by staff to ask if there was anything special they would like to happen during their senior year. The students were given time to hold a collaborative brainstorming session and discuss ideas of how they might want to make a difference in their school, local area or global community. The ideas these young citizens put forth were the basis for developing this project.

Ideas put forth by students to promote kindness in their school, community and school division were:

• organize a teddy bear toss during a high school hockey game and distribute teddies to less fortunate children during the holiday season
• collect food to make hampers for less fortunate families and distribute them during the holiday season
• host a speaker (preferably from the Rachel’s Challenge program) to encourage everyday acts of kindness
• invite all Hamiota Collegiate Grades 6-10 students to attend
• if possible, invite other Park West School Division students to attend
• if possible, host an evening session with the community
• spend one day away from school, volunteering for an organization which benefits others

Since their initial planning session in October 2009, the Grade 12 class organized and led a food drive and teddy bear toss. With support from school staff and community members, the group successfully planned, advertised and executed these two events. They collected over 140 stuffed toys and many boxes of food for the local Christmas Cheer Board. In response to the earthquake in Haiti, this group collected donations for Haitian relief. The students set up a collection system in the school for those wishing to donate, and donated over $200 to Red Cross. They also worked a fundraiser to benefit Palliative Care in our community.

Their next endeavour was to host the Rachel’s Challenge program at Hamiota Collegiate. The Rachel’s Challenge program aims to “to inspire, equip and empower every person to create a permanent positive culture change in their school, business and community by starting a chain reaction of kindness and compassion.” The students hosted a school presentation on May 4, 2010 which was attended by all Hamiota Collegiate students and staff. Other students and staff from the Park West School division were invited to attend and several schools accepted the invitation. Community members were also invited, although the presentation took place during the workday so community attendance was limited. This would be one area to improve. The Rachel’s Challenge program does offer an evening community session as a part of their program, however it comes with an additional expense that funding was not available for this year. The Rachel’s Challenge presentation was very moving and a number of students commented on how much impact it had. After the presentation, the student leaders encouraged their peers to sign their name on a banner if they were serious about taking Rachel’s challenge to be kind, dare to dream, see the best in others and choose positive actions. A remarkable number of students signed the banner and took the challenge.

The grade 12 class worked together to serve lunch before the afternoon training session began. The afternoon session allowed students to learn different ways to promote kindness in their school and community and gave a number of examples of small acts of kindness that have made a big difference. Once the Rachel’s Challenge speaker concluded, student leaders took groups of multi-grade students and worked together to brainstorm ideas for positive changes that could be made in the school or community. Every group was inspired and came up with ideas. Each group took the remainder of the school day to do one of the things they suggested. Some students created thank you cards for bus drivers and custodians and others made posters of inspirational quotes to hang in the hallways. Longer term projects that were started that day included collecting drink tabs for charity and celebrating birthdays by giving each student a card and having monthly birthday cupcake days. In a very short time, a lot of positive changes were made that will continue to develop citizenship in our school, division and community. These acts of kindness will be maintained through the Friends of Rachel club that students have started in the school after the Rachel’s Challenge day. The club was an unanticipated response to the presentation that will be a welcome addition to our list of school clubs and activities. They have elected an executive to run the club and have a number of members from grades 6-11 to continue promoting kindness.

The grade 12 group of students that started this project worked diligently to be strong, contributing citizens in their local and global community. However, these students also encouraged others to be good citizens. Through their activities, they encouraged peers, staff and community members to be better citizens and to do something for their school or community. The Gift of Kindness was an excellent way to learn citizenship "by doing" and this hands-on, student led approach benefited the citizens in and out of our school. Although the project began with a one year schedule, it is evident that the positive effects of the Gift of Kindness will last for years to come.

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What It Means to be Canadian – Canadian, Immigrant and Refugee Students Learning Together
John Pritchard School – Grade 9

As a designated UNESCO Associated School, we felt that it was important for any and all students who showed an interest in joining the Ottawa trip be included, especially our English Additional Language students. The three students who joined the trip were from Vietnam, Nicaragua, and Eretria. This was an opportunity for them to participate, with Canadian peers, in a learning experience that allowed them to become active and responsible citizens.

Upon arrival to Ottawa, students were bused to Carlton University, where they stayed for the 5 nights. This not only provided students with accommodation and meals but a first hand experience of university life. On the first day, students toured the Parliament building, House of Commons and attended question period. They met our local MP Joy Smith, who treated them to lunch in the private dining room, normally, reserved for politicians. Students were given the opportunity to listen to Joy Smith explain her role in Canadian politics and to discuss with her their opinions and ask questions. She encouraged them, as the upcoming generation, to speak out on issues that were important to them.  Part of the discussion was regarding their role as youth in Canadian society and what future impacts they can have.

Students toured the Supreme Court of Canada and participated in a mock trial. Each student was given a role such as Defense Attorney, the Prosecuting Attorney and the Judge. Students learned first hand about our Canadian Judicial system. For our EAL students this was a unique experience as governments and legal and justice systems in their countries have not always been based on an innocent until proven guilty philosophy or democracy.

Students spent another day visiting the Canadian War Museum. They participated in a demonstration and discussion of the role of our Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan. The demonstration included photographs, an opportunity to wear military gear such as a bullet proof vest and a helmet. Students were invited to ask questions and to engage in conversations, with the tour guides. The students in turn were asked questions as to how they would react to different military scenarios. Our EAL students, having experienced war or their families having experienced war had different stories that they could share and enlighten our Canadian students. In a sense, making them experts in an area where none of our Canadian students had any experiences.

Another day was spent at the Canadian Museum of Civilization. They toured the museum and experienced an overview of Canadian history and the many cultures that make up Canada. They commented that the Totem gallery was a dramatic experience for them. They learned about all of our Aboriginal cultures in Canada – from the West Coast Aboriginals to the Plains, creating a clearer understanding and appreciation of our First Nations.  They learned about early European settlement and our cultural diversity.

The National Gallery of Canada was a highlight. Our students just loved it. The tour guides focused on several paintings presenting different points of view. Students also toured Rideau Hall, viewing the “Official” ceremonial rooms where diplomats and other heads of State are received by the Governor General.

Not only were students given the opportunity to learn of Canada’s past, our roles within the World, and our Political system – but were given several opportunities to bond as peers and learn how to socialize in a Canadian context. All students bonded through some fun general activities. Students went on a bike ride of Ottawa, much different cycling the hilly landscape of Ottawa than the flat prairie roads. They had to learn how to work within a group, count on each other, look after each other, and follow directions (all in English). Not only were our EAL students learning to depend and socialize with their Canadian peers but our Canadian students bonded with them and all learned to depend on each other and to laugh with each other. LaFleche Park provided challenges – physical and social, and opportunities for all to bond, to look out for each other and to work as one group.

Strengths were that the project created situations where students bonded with each other, learned about and respected each others differences. Students were able to learn first hand about Canada and being Canadian, making meaningful hands on connections that tied in with the theoretical learning of their text book. It gave the three EAL students an opportunity that they would never have been able to have, without the financial support that this grant provided. We have noticed that participating in the Ottawa trip has increased the confidence of the EAL students to participate as mainstream students, no longer hanging back on the fringes of school life. Originally we did not expect to see such a smooth transition from hanging back on the fringes of student life to excitedly embracing main stream student life. By joining in this common experience all students saw each other as equals and friends.

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Project Unity
Kildonan East Collegiate – Grades 9 to 12

Manitoba Museum - As a class we took a field trip to the Manitoba Museum. This was a great experience for the class because the trip was interesting, fun, and educational. Each student had an opportunity to view exhibits and handle artefacts that related to Manitoba history. As a result, students’ knowledge of Manitoba was broadened and students felt like they were now becoming members of the community.

Zoo and Assiniboine Park – Students toured the facility and gained in depth knowledge about native and non native species. In addition, students toured the Leo Mol Sculpture Gardens which provided them with a quiet retreat to view and enjoy the magnificent works of art.

Urban Hike – Students had an opportunity to tour various locations in and around Winnipeg city.  Highlights included a stop at the Bridge Drive Inn, tour of The Forks, and St. Boniface.

Mennonite Heritage Museum – Students had the opportunity to tour the museum and learn about the Mennonite culture and way of life from the 16th century to present day.

Year End Wind up – There will be a year end wind up and students/youth ambassadors will have the chance to select cultural foods which they would like to sample.

Strengths of project:
The Youth Ambassadors Program has been designed to help newcomer youths transition into their new surroundings. Youth Ambassadors are a diverse group of student leaders who provided support, comfort, and guidance to new Canadian students. They showcased Canadian culture through the participation of school led activities. As a result, EAL students had the opportunity to broaden their knowledge of Canadian culture, society, and education. On average we had between 20 and 30 students participate in the school let activities. The project was very successful with the students.

What you would do differently?
I would extend the field trips to students’ siblings and friends within the community. There were several last minute attempts made by the students to bring friends or family members on the trips. As a result of the short notice the requests could not have been granted at the time.

Unanticipated results:
Results were as expected. However, there was no initial indication that family members would be interested in attending.

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Creating Compassionate Community Members
Linden Christian School – Grade 7

The main goal of our grade 7 Social Studies program is to help students acquire the knowledge, skills, values and passion they need to be compassionate community members and to learn how they can make a difference in their world. This not only corresponds with the goals of the Manitoba curriculum, but also is part of our school vision. With the grant money, we wanted to build on activities that we had done in previous years.

Throughout the year and through our unit on Global Citizenship and International Development, our students continually expressed a desire to not just learn about the issues, but actually do something to make a difference in the lives of people affected by poverty. This year, students chose to focus on the issue of education around the world. This decision was based largely on our field trip to M.C.C. where we learned about some of the issues and actually spent time packing school kits. Afterwards, we spent several lessons learning more about the value of education and finding facts concerning the 103 million children who do not attend school and exploring the reasons why. Their ultimate goal was to raise money to buy school kits for M.C.C. that will be sent to children around the world who have had their education interrupted by war or disaster. Students learned about the issue, then planned strategies and events. They decided to raise funds through various methods including engaging in extra chores around the home and holding a ‘Dignity Sale’ where they sold their dignity and did embarrassing or challenging things for a day.

Students had many hands-on opportunities, such as putting together school kits with M.C.C., working at Winnipeg Harvest and raising awareness and funds in their communities. Students also had several opportunities to participate in poverty simulations such as living on only $2 of food a day for a week or doing the 30 hour famine. At least half of the students also took part in this year’s Fair Trade Challenge. Some created a display for the school and parent community by their own initiative and tried to raise awareness about issues such as fair trade, child labour, slavery, etc. In the end, the grade sevens raised over $1,250 for M.C.C. school kits and were deeply impacted by what they learned, did and achieved.

Our school has never had a student leadership team in our Middle Years program, and there has been very little opportunity for the grade 7/8 students to serve our school community or assume responsibility greater than themselves. As such, we took this opportunity to start up a student leadership team in grade 7 and 8. We wanted this team to provide opportunities for student voice, to help equip students to serve in the local and global community, to plan events that would help unify the grade 7 & 8’s and to help students build their leadership skills. In the end, the project was very successful. Our student leadership team met every week, planned activities, worked to improve the school and their grade and developed many valuable leadership skills. They met with school administration and other groups to achieve their goals, they faced many obstacles they had to deal with, they planned, organized and implemented and tried to involve as much of the student body as possible.

Some things our student leadership team did were: planned special grade 5-8 spirit weeks for the first time, planned pep rallies and field frenzies to promote school unity, picked up garbage in the community, helped with teacher appreciation week, delivered cookies and cards to nearby businesses, helped with the yearbook, planned assemblies and chapels and performed random acts of kindness for fellow students. They were also encouraged to act as role models and leaders in their classes and to look for opportunities to improve our school and community and we were impressed by their achievements. They even started our school’s very first school magazine, which sold out their first 3 issues and was written entirely by grade 7 and 8 students, many of whom were not previously involved in any extra curricular activities. It was an excellent opportunity for students to express their thoughts and issues, write about school and global issues and showcase their talents, skills and humour.

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Making Connections – Making a Difference
Oak Park High School and Westgrove Elementary School – Grades 1 / 2 & 12

Bowling with Buddies:
The grade one students from Westgrove Elementary School (35) joined their Oak Park buddies (49) for a morning of physical activity at Academy Lanes. Students from Oak Park arrived at Westgrove to connect with their grade one buddy and spent the morning supervising and interacting with their buddy. Many of the grade one students had never been bowling before and their reaction to the outing was quite favourable. The Oak Park students showed great responsibility in their command of the younger students and the rapport developed amongst the groupings on each lane was fun to watch as the competitive spirit was tempered with good sportsmanship.

Educational Program – Imprinting on Young Animals:
The Wildlife Rehabilitation Haven came to Westgrove and conducted an educational program on the effects of imprinting by humans on small animals that may be found in the neighbourhood. Many times, students will discover small bunnies or birds on their property and by interacting with them on a physical nature they are preventing the animal’s parents from taking care of them after they have been imprinted by human contact. The presenters were excellent in explaining to the grade ones how their perceived acts of kindness are in actuality often the demise of the animal. The presenters brought with them two birds of prey that reside permanently with the Wildlife Rehabilitation Haven after having been imprinted upon as babies, a red-tailed hawk and a grey owl. The students really enjoyed this aspect as they were afforded an up close look at these truly magnificent birds. Questions and answers followed the program and students learned to better appreciate the wildlife they have in their own backyards.

Westgrove Butterfly Garden:
Students from both Westgrove and Oak Park together prepared and planted a butterfly garden on Westgrove School property. The Oak Park students did the so called grunt work and then assisted their little buddies in planting the proper types of plants that would attract butterflies to the area. The grade one students have taken a sense of pride and ownership of the garden and feel that they have contributed to the school’s environment in a positive and lasting way.

Westgrove Outdoor Classroom:
The creation of an outdoor classroom at Westgrove Elementary School is in the planning stages in conjunction with grade four and grade one students and with next year’s Oak Park students who will participate in the Making Connections – Making a Difference program. The outdoor classroom will have an aboriginal theme to it and there for consultation and direction from an aboriginal elder is imperative. Materials will be gathered and/or purchased this summer and the actual development of the outdoor classroom will commence in the fall of 2010. The outdoor classroom will then be utilized by all grades at Westgrove Elementary School for future classes.

Strengths of the Program:
As the lead teacher at Oak Park High School for Making Connections – Making a Difference, I have seen more than 220 students participate in this program. The opportunity to demonstrate good citizenship and make a positive contribution and connection with, in many cases, disadvantaged youth, has been well received and greatly appreciated. As a high school teacher I have often found students to be motivated mostly by a mark attached to their work. In the two years of operating this program I can honestly say that not one Oak Park student has ever asked if they were getting marks for participating in this program. Students have enjoyed the interaction with their little buddies at Westgrove and many students have matured and come out of their shell by working with an adoring buddy. The response is equally positive from the Westgrove participants. The grade one students so look forward to the days that their Oak Park buddies will visit and work with them one on one, not only on reading and math but also gym time and play center time. A true friendship and mentoring aspect is developed between the students from both schools.

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LIVE (Learn, Interact, Volunteer, Explore)
Pinawa Secondary School – Grades 7 to 12

Objective A – Building More Connections:

• To establish a solid primary membership in our group with both students and staff who will in turn foster secondary participation across the remaining student body through donations and one time volunteering in hopes of developing our school and community more fully in the realm of citizenship and its supporting principles. To date we have had an average of 15 students attend our weekly meetings. We have also had a secondary group of approximately 10 students who drop in to meeting and have put forward a volunteer effort at least once.
• Set up an event entitled (or something like it) ONE ACT OF GIVING, where we encourage every student in our school to volunteer their time or make a donation to something outlined by the primary LIVE members during our daily announcements/month assemblies. By years end we would have 100% participation in the secondary membership category. This is something that would take place next year as we have not yet established a fully committed primary membership. With a small student population I feel this something well within our ability to follow through on. To date, we have used our daily announcements to encourage volunteerism and pass on information about local, national and international events that need volunteers. This has both encouraged action but also simply informed students of these events. We have established that committed primary group which we feel sets the stage to introduce our ONE ACT OF GIVING event in the fall 2010.
• To facilitate a junior chapter of LIVE at the local elementary school, modelled after the secondary school group in hopes of starting the process at a younger age so by the time students hit high school they are well versed in the philosophy of community development, volunteerism and citizenship. Contact has been made with our elementary school and a staff contact at that school has volunteered to lead the junior chapter. In June, students from the Grade 6 class will attend two LIVE meetings as an introduction to the program with the intention of attending every second meeting in the fall and being integrated into projects.
• To connect students to community groups like Lions Club, Town Council and PCDC (Pinawa Community Development Committee) in hopes of inspiring young people to continue the community oriented traditions that already exist in our town and breathe new life into those same groups with “young blood”. We have attended two local meeting (Age Friendly Communities and Two Rivers Seniors) in order to gauge interest in inter-generational partnerships. We have also volunteered to help move seniors into a newly constructed facility in our community which will take place within the next two weeks. We have contacted our local Lions Club with a project idea (completion of a landscaping project) but have not as of yet received any reply.

Objective B – Increase Exposure:

• To increase our group’s exposure to a breath of activities/interests/causes/charities/etc. by connecting students to individuals/agencies/groups within the community/province/nation/world that allow for that individual to explore and develop an interest (WHAT’S MY PASSION?) It is hoped that this creates a sustained impact that lasts well after students graduate from Pinawa Secondary. Students will foster that learning into a passion that doesn’t end when they leave our building; it becomes a habit, a hobby, a pastime or even career. We actually have begun this in earnest with the creation of smaller focus groups from the larger LIVE membership.

The focus groups were created:

1. Environmental Concerns
2. Local Issues (Pinawa/Manitoba/Canada)
3. Global Issues – World

LIVE Students explored various issues in these focus groups and have:

• Joined MARLY (stemming from Manitoba Human Rights Commission – Class Action: Rights Here, Rights Now Conference), attended monthly meetings and created a video presentation on living with disability.
• Began looking at sustainable practises in our school district, two students have joined our School District team and will attend the SEDA conference in October.
• Toured Siloam Mission and raised $350 for it through a school wide challenge.
• Wrote the RCMP to ask for a donation of seized equipment to start a hydroponic garden.
• Attended the Manitoba Council for International Cooperation – Generating Momentum Conference and presented a workshop to the student body at a Wellness Day (organized in part by LIVE).
• Established a Canadian Blood Services Student Ambassador.
• Raised over $1,200 for Red Cross.
• Established a contact at Fort Whyte in planning a day trip in the fall.
• Created a mobile recycling cart.
• Partnered with our local Grassroots organization to teach elementary and preschool “Cooking with kids”.
• Ran a charity basketball tournament to benefit Habitat and Ethiopia.
• Helped local Christmas cheer board package hampers/raise money for local families.

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Residential School
Portage Collegiate Institute – Grades 10 to 12

Portage Collegiate Institute has an archive program where high school students are able to earn a credit toward their diploma. The school archive engages in a number of activities. The first project involves the transfer of old photographic negatives to a digital format. The negatives came from a large collection accumulated by a local photographer who worked for the Daily Graphic newspaper. The collection chronicles the life of Portage la Prairie and surrounding areas from the 1950s to the 1970s. There are around 15,000 individual negatives in 10,000 envelopes. Each envelope in the collection has a headline and a brief description. As a class project, we decided to scan all the negatives that depict native people. We will then send the completed scans to the National Archives to be included in the National Portrait collection of Aboriginal People. We also intend to send copies of the scans to our local reserves to see if anyone is able to identify the subjects in the negatives.

The second project involved digitizing the archive collection of the Portage la Prairie Rotary club. We scanned all their old photographs and took digital pictures of items kept in a large disbound scrapbook. We also created an inventory of all the items in the collection and will provide the group with a PowerPoint to be shared at their future meetings.

My archive students completed about 400 scans on the two projects I have described in addition to several hundred more on other photo projects.

Strengths of the Project:
As the City of Portage la Prairie does not have a community archive, Portage Collegiate Institute offers a place for citizens to get advice and assistance on preserving our community’s heritage. The two projects we engaged in are very important in preserving the memories of two community groups; one from our First Nations and the other from a long serving community service organization. The 15 students who worked on these projects gained an insight into the lives of these two groups. There were a lot of memories in the images. Some students recognized family members and a lot of discussion ensued about the kinds of things that people did for fun not-so-long-ago. They also gained some insight into the negative aspects of life in the 1950s and 1960s. The students were shocked by one newspaper headline excusing the accidental shooting of a local resident because the home owner “thought it was an Indian”. They were also shocked to find out that our community once had an annual black-face minstrel show. However, these events happened and we cannot pretend that they did not. I think it is fair to say that sometimes the “good old days” just weren’t that good. I think that is the prevailing message that my students gained in completing their assignments on these projects.

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I Leave My Imprint on the World
Sherwood School - Grades K to 5

I Leave My Imprint on the World was a school-wide social action project undertaken by the students, staff and community of Sherwood School. The project began in September 2009 and culminated on June 24, 2010 with a school-wide “greening day”. Students worked together with their classroom teachers and teacher-librarian to plan, budget, research, survey, build, fix, and more. Below is a brief summary of the activities that students participated in throughout the school year. All of these activities were working toward the goal of making our schoolyard a more beautiful, functional, safe community place for students and families to learn and grow together.

• The grade 1/2 class studied our local community in order to learn about what we could do to make our community a better place. They learned about rights and responsibilities, physical features, and the people in our community. With the help of their teachers, the students decided that they would plan to make our schoolyard a better community place. They visited other schools to see what they had done and created a large model of our current school yard.
• The grade 5 class decided to create surveys to see what all of the members of our school community would like to do to improve our schoolyard. Working in teams they created a staff survey, student survey and family survey. They distributed and collected the surveys, compiled the data and shared it with teachers and Parent Council. They made a movie about their work to show the other classrooms. This data served as a basis for all of the work all students have done around our playground improvement project.
• During this time, the grade 5s also measured and painted new 4-square lines on the hardtop. In the survey, many students identified this as an important improvement that needed attention quickly.
• The grade 2/3 class and the grade 3/4 class investigated their science topics through experimentation, research, and many hands-on activities. All students were given an opportunity to show what they had learned about structures and materials to create a prototype of a birdhouse for our playground. Each group then voted for the birdhouses that met the criteria. The students took the four winning designs to the carpentry teacher at Kildonan East Collegiate, and he chose one design that he felt was the most functional/structurally sound. He and his students prepared the materials necessary for the construction of the houses. On our last day together, both classrooms spent an afternoon building six birdhouses for our schoolyard.
• The grade 1/2 class, along with their classroom teacher and student teacher, were studying Manitoba animals. They did some research using books and websites and created books, games and habitats for their chosen animals. At the end of our time together, the grade 1/2 class worked together to research the Monarch Butterfly. They found some information about which types of plants Monarch like and designed a butterfly garden for our school yard.
• The grade 5s began by looking at the maps. We looked at historical maps and how the landscape of Canada has changed throughout history. This launched us into a discussion of the different ways that history has been recorded through time. The students became quite interested in pictographs. They wrote stories using their own pictographs. As a culminating activity, each student was asked to create a picture or symbol that represented who they are right now. We purchased a large boulder from Reimer Soils and each student painted their symbol on it. The rock will be placed in the school garden as a way for the grade 5s to leave a piece of their history here.
• The grade 2/3 class picked up where they left off by painting the birdhouses and making some temporary winter bird feeders. As it was now winter, the playground project was placed on hold temporarily. However, students knew that the learning they were doing through the winter would come in handy when it came time to fix our schoolyard in the spring. They conducted research about animal groups and biomes and used what they learned to figure out why certain plants and animals have the adaptations that the do. The culminating activity was a Jeopardy game created using PowerPoint.
• After hearing news reports about the earthquake in Haiti, the grade 3/4 class wanted to take action. They conducted research about the country using a WebQuest format, and shared it with the whole school. They organized a school-wide t-shirt sale after some “I ♥ Haiti” t-shirts were donated to our school.
• The grade 1/2 class focused on Air and Water in the Environment. The students participated in many hands on activities and experiments around air and water. They created wind devices as a design project.
• The grade 5s studied weather. They created a word cloud (pre-assessment) for their weather journals. In their journals they recorded the weather each day along with some information about historical weather, appropriate clothing and activities, and weekly forecasts. Each student took a turn giving a weather forecast during the morning announcements. CBC news came and answered many of their questions about weather. They also created large, multimedia art projects representing a Manitoba weather phenomenon. As a culminating activity, the students designed a weather instrument that they could use to gather information for their weather journals and forecasts.
• The grade 2/3 class created environmental messages that were videotaped using a green screen. Each group of students chose where they would like to “be” and the backgrounds were inserted using Pinnacle Studio. We then transitioned to soils. They collected and analyzed soil samples, gathered some information about soils from an expert, researched which plants would be appropriate for the soil conditions in our playground and took a trip to RONA to purchase plants for our school yard.
• The grade 3/4 class is studying light and sound. We are working in partnership with our music teacher on a variety of exploration centres and other hands on activities. The students have explored a variety of interactive websites, participated in many hands on activities, and have spent some time learning to manipulate sound using Audacity. Their culminating project will be a design project.

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Research Center for Environmental Sustainability
St. Emile School – Grades K to 8

Students in all grades were involved in an extensive study on sustainability – either environmental or cultural. The challenge that was the catalyst for their inquiries was the question, “What can we do to support our environment and our community now, and into the future?’

Summary of Project Activities:

• Paper making – a tribute from the kindergarten class to the many gifts of our forests and woodlands.
• Healthy environments – three dimensional models of what is needed for animals to live in healthy environments. This class also included a great deal of art work on the strength and beauty of the animal kingdom.
• The students in grade 2 creating their own mini and personal compost bins. They used the rich earth from their composts to make their mother’s day gifts (potted plants) and fertilize our school garden.
• The grade 3 class undertook a year long study of Worm Barns and presented their barn and their findings to the community.
• In Grade 4, the students harnessed solar energy and presented their inventions to the public. They used solar energy to cook hot dogs, make a doorbell, purify water, hot water heater, etc.
• The grade 5 and 7 classes concentrated on cultural sustainability and researched the ways art can be used to preserve, share, and sustain a culture. The G. 5’s studied Canada’s Aboriginal peoples and the Gr. 7’s examined African culture in Nigeria and Uganda.
• The Gr. 8 class had a year-long inquiry into the culture of North American teenagers. They studied the history and evolution of “teenagers” as a social group, the power of the media, teenagers and the law, urban gangs, graffiti, technology and teens and social responsibility.

Students in Kindergarten to Grade 4 demonstrated a greater awareness of environmental sustainability. Their discussions inside and outside the classroom were more informed and focused on their role as stewards of the environment. They have become keen observers of our school gardens, and good stewards of the playground area, checking for garbage and waste. They often can be seen checking classroom waste bins, ensuring nothing recyclable has been discarded.

Students in Grades 5-8 are demonstrating greater sensitivity and a deeper awareness of the role culture plays in their world. Teachers report that students are becoming more sensitive to the way social norms can shape and change lives. Recent discussions on the Truth and Reconciliation forum at the Forks are engaging the students on a level not anticipated by teachers.

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Gender Equality and Student Action
St. James Collegiate – Grades 9 to 12

The 1st Annual Jimmie Midnighter was held for our 2009/2010 Grade 9 class as a means of connecting to their new school and the older students. The activities were run by students in Gr. 11 and 12. The Gender Equality Group hosted a school event in honour of International Women’s Day. Activities included a presentation on the women of Canada who have led the way in a variety of areas, followed by an entertainer who presented the “differences in men and women”. The Stevenson Homework Club, Brooklands Literacy Project, Siloam Mission visits are all ongoing activities that encouraged the students to become more involved with their local community. We also hosted a Humanities Fair for our parents where students shared assignments that they’ve been working on in their classes in a “fair like” setting. A group of students also attended a presentation at the University of Winnipeg having the opportunity to sit on The Truth about Barbie lecture. Four students from the Gender Equality Group also attended the Women as Career Mentors dinner.

Our goals were to develop awareness of local and global issues and to develop skills and attitudes. These goals were met with the activities that the students were involved in. They developed a stronger connection to our school community and also were actively involved in activities related to our larger community. They also developed verbal and written skills as they worked through the planning and initiation of the events listed above. As well the students had the opportunity to meet individuals and gain skills in the area of acceptance, respect, empathy, etc.

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Art for Peace
Strathcona School – Grades K to 4

Strathcona Community School is an inner city school located in the heart of Winnipeg’s North End.  Over the 2009-2010 school year, educators and children worked together to “joyfully create a culture of peace” through Arts education.

Arts Peace in the Park: On June 11, 2010 the entire school population participated in a day of arts and fun at Kildonan Park. Children and adults shared in learning through dance, illustrating, yoga, cooperative games, reading and drumming. Helping students explore citizenship (rights and responsibility) and connecting it to their lives through these art forms was the key to true understanding. This day was more than a celebration of learning and the Arts but rather an opportunity for the children to appreciate their freedoms. This was a very powerful way to recognize our beautiful children and their diverse ways of expressing themselves through the Arts.

Festival of Arts and Learning: Our school was open to the community on May 20th. Families enjoyed performances in the gym while each classroom was transformed into an art gallery. Students and families went on a gallery walk throughout the school and celebrated academic and joyful learning. The opportunity for this exploration assisted greatly in building community capacity, a step to truly involving community by virtue of building it first.

Yoga for Children: This was a new program at Strathcona School. Grades one and two students had the opportunity to participate in weekly yoga instruction. The yoga instruction was a catalyst for deeply meaningful learning conversations about being a responsible citizen in the classroom, the school, the community and the world at large. Learning physical poses and breathing techniques resulted in the children gaining strategies for a calm, focussed mind and more engaged learning time. Yoga involves a commitment to caring for the environment and provided the context for an in depth inquiry about the causes of global warming encouraging environmental citizenship and sustainability. In addition to education for sustainable development, the children engaged in an inquiry about India.  The children created pieces of art reflecting their favourite yoga poses inspired by the patterns and colours of Indian fabrics.

Art Exchange Project: This student art exchange program was established to promote cultural understanding and friendship between Winnipeg and our sister city, Lviv, Ukraine. Youth of the two cities created images that portray their respective cities and culture utilizing various mediums of the world of art. Students were given opportunities and time to reflect on their own cities, voice their reflections through art while building cross-cultural friendships.

The achievement of social justice and citizenship depends very much on students having an understanding of the extent to which all people have common physical and psychological needs (e.g. to be heard, to feel safe, to be treated with respect), regardless of the differences in their attributes, capacities, or backgrounds. As students grow in their abilities to interpret and create personally meaningful works of artistic expression, they develop cooperative and responsible group behaviour skills through the collaborative creative process. At Strathcona School, educators use dance, yoga, drama, music and visual arts as a means to explore resolutions to problems and conflicts (incidents of racism or homophobia). Students create ARTS works in response to a range of diversity and social justice topics (e.g. poverty, environmental destruction).

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Re-energize: Recycle; Re-Think; Re-Charge
Thomas Greenway Middle School – Grade 7

Summary of project activities:

• Research
• Creation of Power Points
• Tour of waste management (Louise Municipality)
• Creation of Best Power Point
• Conference Day at school just for Gr. 7’s instead of a second field trip
• planning of meeting with local government officials
• invitations
• RSVP’s
• room set up
• clarification of jobs
• Meeting with officials (presenting options)

Students learned about:

• writing skills – invitations, letter writing etc.
• research skills
• computer skills – Power Point
• citizenship skills – responsibility, follow through to completion
• public speaking skills
• planning and organizing skills
• thinking skills – sifting through information to find the true information

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