Operation Me 2 We

Operation Me 2 We will be a year long project aimed at raising student awareness of social issues such as poverty and homelessness in our local community. It is hoped that having the students come directly in contact with 'real people' that are experiencing these hardships they will become more sensitized to real-world issues that they would otherwise not encounter outside the regular classroom. The project aims to not only create social consciousness but also a passion for taking proactive measures to help make a positive difference. Being educated about social issues is only one aspect, taking action is the other. The project will therefore foster activism while empowering the students to recognize that they can make a difference in this world regardless of their age.

The goals of the project are to create and instill greater awareness in students about poverty, both locally and globally; to foster a commitment to living a life of service/giving back to the wider community; to encourage social responsibility; and to empower students to view themselves as agents of change.

Update (December 5, 2011)

The Me 2 We Club is off to another exciting year! We took part in Free the Children's Halloween for Hunger Campaign and collected over 800 pounds of food which was donated to the local soup kitchen where we volunteer.

Students in the club also took part in the Vow of Silence Campaign as a symbol of solidarity with children who are silenced by various social ills - child labour, poverty, homelessness etc. Going silent for part of the day was a great exercise in raising awareness about the exploitation and abuse of children everywhere.

Update (July 10, 2012)

The Me 2 We Club ended the school year with a strong sense of accomplishment. Our year long commitment to promoting social activism and awareness within our school and the wider community was a huge success. Apart from giving back to our local community via monthly trips to the local Soup Kitchen and making donations to the Food Bank we also ran a successful campaign during the month of February to turn the spotlight on Aboriginals. This was actively promoted throughout the school via daily e-announcements that gave facts and statistics about issues relating to Aboriginal people. The month long campaign culminated in a movie night which featured a documentary-type film on the effects of residential schools on the psyche of those who went to these schools as well as their offsprings.

In March, our club turned the focus on the condition of women and girls and the many issues and challenges they still face on a daily basis. Some of the themes explored were self-esteem, right and advocacy, economic empowerment, gendercide, relationships and health. Materials and videos from the "Because I am a Girl" campaign were used at our weekly meetings.

Our social activism also extended globally. Throughout the year we collected milk bags as part of an initiative called the "Milk Bag Project" . These are cut into strips and crocheted into sleeping mats for people in Haiti who are still displaced by the devastating earthquake. Our sizeable collection was donated to Sobeys Supermarket who will in turn be responsible for shipping them off to Haiti.

Our major global goal this year was to raise enough money to build a school in Kenya in partnership with Free the Children. This was announced early in the year to the entire student body as well as to parents via newsletters. Throughout the year we ran various fundraising initiatives to meet our objective - School dances, Quarter Drive, Car wash, donations at our Spring Concert and even a Basketball Competition between students and teachers!

In the end we were able to raise a little over $5,000. This amount was matched dollar for dollar thanks to an Award received. Our goal of building a one room school house in Kenya was realised and so was our overall aim of promoting and advocating for social justice. Thanks again for your generous funding two years in a row. Without this subsidy, transportation costs to cover visits to the Soup Kitchen and Food Bank would not be possible. You are truly inspiring a generation of