9 Superior North Catholic District Board Schools Collaborate to Build Kenyan School – Leadership Training held last week

Written by Holy Angels Catholic School on 27 September 2012

Photos courtesy Holy Angels School

: Leadership training for students from each of SGDSB’s schools (all are participating). Photos HAS

SCHREIBER, ON – The Superior North Catholic District School Board is happy to announce that this school year, all nine schools in the board will work together to build a school in Kenya. The board is working with Free the Children to achieve this goal.

Free the Children is an organization that works around the world, helping to end the cycle of poverty and build sustainable communities. In order to do this, they use an “adopt a village” development model that focuses on five areas: clean water and sanitation, health care, alternative income and livelihood, agriculture and food security, and education. Brick by Brick (the name given to the education pillar) is the area that Superior North Catholic District School Board (SNCDSB) will be supporting.

Facilitators from Me to We (Free the Children's sister organization) instruct students and children regarding the project. Photo HAS

The students were very enthusiastic about learning more about the students who need the school they will build and the reality of building a school on the other side of the world. Photos HAS

To engage the students in our schools in the Brick by Brick project, three or four students from each school were selected to attend Leadership Training at St. Martin School in Terrace Bay. The training was led by Me to We (Free the Children’s sister organization) Facilitators Mischa and Ian on Monday, September 17th with three goals for the day:

Give students some background knowledge about Kenya and the challenges that young people there face when getting an education;
Inform students about Free the Children and their work around the world;
Allow students to brainstorm ways to raise awareness about Brick by Brick in their schools and communities.

The students were fully engaged throughout the day and many learned creative fundraising ideas. When asked about her participation,

St. Hilary School (Red Rock) Grade 7 student Calley Olson shared that “Today was inspiring. I learned a lot about Kenya and it was fun!”

St. Edward School (Nipigon) Grade 8 student Liam Duncan commented, “It was inspiring to get us motivated to do this! I’m not one for writing, but I’ve got three pages of stuff written!”

St. Martin School (Terrace Bay) Grade 8 student Wyatt Gordon felt that “more kids should do this kind of thing.”

The overall feeling was one of excitement for the future of the project and the lives that it will impact, evident in

Our Lady of Lourdes School (Manitouwadge) Grade 7 student Valerie Glaister‘s enthusiastic response “It will be pretty cool to know we built a school!”.

Should SNCDSB be unable to raise the total cost of $8,500 to build the school, Free the Children will pair the board up with another organization interested in building Kenyan school, and together their donations will ensure the project is completed. Superior North Catholic District School board students and staff are thrilled to be cooperating with Free the Children and look forward to keeping the community updated on the Brick by Brick project.