Global Students /Global Citizens

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1 Global Students /Global Citizens Helping you bring a global perspective to the classroom Summer 2013 / A publication of the Manitoba Council for International Cooperation The Global Citizenship Award is aimed at recognizing graduating Grade 12 students who have engaged in meaningful leadership and global citizenship volunteer activities aimed at a more just and sustainable world. Each of the four recipients will receive a certificate at their graduation ceremony and a $250 award. Hello Educators. Welcome to the Summer 2013 edition of Global Students/Global Citizens, MCIC s Teacher enewsletter. Congratulations on making it to the end of the year, and we hope you have an exciting summer planned! We are here to help you bring a global perspective to your classroom. This newsletter will take you through various opportunities, conferences, contests and events available from MCIC, our members and other organizations that aim to promote active global citizenship. Global Citizenship Awards Thea Olalia Sisler High School, Winnipeg Rachel Ashley Byrka Miami School, Miami High School Activity Highlights: Has performed at over 70 schools with her own No Time for That anti-bullying tour; helped to create a music video about the rights of women and girls through MCIC. Global citizenship is devoting yourself to others, ensuring positive change, and making the world a better place. Activity Highlights: Started a greenhouse and an E-Waste program at Sisler; was a leader with Students of Sisler Environmental Helpers; acts as a program head for CFC Youth for Christ. I believe that being a good global citizen includes understanding that to improve the world is to improve one s self. Shania Nicole Sveinson Gimli High School, Gimli Activity Highlights: Promoted Fair Trade in Gimli with the Youth Community Partnership; planned events through the Social Justice Club including International Day of the Girl, 30 Hour Famine and raising funds to purchase 20 goats for farmers in Ethiopia. I believe that being a global citizen means being knowledgeable about global issues, and having the courage to take action and make a change. Brandi Vivier Erickson Collegiate, Erickson Activity Highlights: Worked for the right to food and education locally and globally with Students Making a Difference (SMAD); worked to diminish sexism, racism and homophobia with the Gay Straight Alliance; volunteered with the Sandy Lake Fire Department and community events. My view of global citizenship influences my daily choices in many ways: it influences me to get out and get involved in my community, in my school and in worldwide projects. Being a global citizen has given me a sense of responsibility and community.

2 Global Citizenship Awards for Educators For a second year, MCIC awarded the Global Citizenship Award for Educators to Manitoba teachers and administrators who are leaders in promoting and supporting global citizenship. MCIC donated $100 to the charitable organizations of the recipients choice, and the winners also received recognition at MCIC s Annual General Meeting on June 12, Awards were given to recipients in the following three categories: Middle years teachers; High school teachers and Administrators (including Principals, Vice Principals, Superintendents, Trustees and other divisional or Manitoba Education staff). Visit for more information on the awards. Christine Penner Assistant Superintendent, Interlake School Division, Stonewall Global Students /Global Citizens Summer Greg Shedden Teacher, Sisler High School, Winnipeg Activity Highlights: Supported and helped plan staff initiatives to help students develop their roles as global citizens; worked to twin schools in her division with northern and Ugandan schools; worked with Grannies Gone Global to connect with grandmothers in Africa. Christine s impact is vast while being so very personal and connected to those near and far. I am so very humbled to know her and work with her. Lorelee Proctor, Teacher, Warren Elementary School Activity Highlights: Led student groups to bring a solar wall, apple orchard and green classroom to the school, and to raise funds to buy school supplies for the NEEDS Centre; winner of the provincial High School Teacher of the Year award. Mr. Shedden is a tireless champion of teens and young adults. He motivates and guides them to be community activists and with his support many of our students have excelled. George Heshka, Principal, Sisler High School Bev Sobry Teacher, Souris School, Souris Activity Highlights: Led a student-initiated class for students designed to foster compassion and empower youth to make a positive difference locally and globally; organized events for students such as fundraising for flood relief in the Philippines and to build 2 primary schools in Rwanda. Mrs. Sobry is more than an ELA and social studies teacher. She has given me the courage to use my voice to make a change. Madison Dodds, Souris School Student Congratulations to all of the recipients of the Global Citizenship Award for Students and Educators this year. Christine Penner was profiled by MCIC earlier this year for International Development Week 2013 specifically for her work with Grannies Gone Global and for contributing towards the acheivement of Millennium Development Goal 6: Combat HIV/AIDs, malaria and other diseases. Click here to view Christine Penner s video profile.

3 Global Students /Global Citizens Summer Schools In Action: Stories of Global Citizens in Manitoba Schools in Action profiles what Manitoba schools are doing to promote global citizenship and to make our world a better place. We hear from the teachers and students who have taken the time to contribute to their schools and communities through inspiring initiatives throughout the province. In this edition we are profiling Sisler High School and the Sisler Sustainability Conference that some of the students organize. Lauren Sawchuk, a teacher at Sisler High spoke to us, and told us how, over the years, the Sisler Sustainability Conference has come to be organized completely by students. The major action that took place in the school The annual Sisler Sustainability Conference has been running for more than five years and over the years has become almost 100% student planned, led, and executed. The motivation to take action Lauren has personally been involved in the conference for the last five years and decided, given that she had strong, capable students, to get those students more involved in the actual process of putting on a conference. She believed they would get more from actually making the decisions about their conference rather than merely participating. They learned to collaborate and work together, working around each others schedules, and strengths. They have been improving the conference each year based on the feedback they receive from guests at the conference. The goal is to put on a conference that they enjoy and of which they are proud. Pushing them to do as much as they can on their own has increased their sense of self-worth and achievement. Who got involved There is a core group of 8 planners (who contribute the greatest amount of time), 8 others who help the day before and day of with the execution and goffering. There were 70 students who attended (30 from outside of Sisler High), as well as speakers from the Manitoba Council for International Cooperation, EcoNetwork, and other green organizations from around Winnipeg. Tall Grass Prairie Bakery catered their morning snack and the lunch was provided by Diversity Foods. How long it took to plan The school began the whole process in Spring 2012 when they had just finished last year s conference. They discussed what worked, what didn t and how to improve the following year s conference. The actual planning started in Fall 2013 when they delegated jobs to each member in the group. For example, one student was responsible for contacting and corresponding with potential presenters. They contacted the EcoNetwork for a list of presenters that each of the 8 students looked into and then they narrowed it down to their top group selection. Lauren also applied for a grant through Healthy Schools in December to acquire some funds for the conference and the EcoNetwork also contributed financially. They started contacting other schools at the beginning of the new semester. Lauren was also in touch with Ben Kramer from Diversity Foods and Tabitha from Tall Grass Prairie last spring. They discussed with her the importance of sustainable food and also generously helped cover some of the catering expense. What resources were needed A major resource the school needed were presenters at the conference. They also needed projectors, laptops, screens, flip boards, posters, sign-up sheets, food for the morning snack and lunch, supplies for presentations, videos, and space. Tips and advice for other schools When asked what Sisler High School had learned through its Sustianability Conference that other schools could use if they wished to carry out a similar initiative, Lauren Sawchuk gave us the following advice: Get a strong group of students who are passionate about the cause so that they fully commit to the project. It does get very busy at points and so team commitment is imperative. Also, be willing to try new things. We were nervous about asking for participants from other schools, seeing as all the previous years it had just been Sisler students. Although it was a lot of extra work seeking out teachers/students, and we were not sure how it would turn out, we believe the chance was well worth it. Having new ideas, people, etc. was an amazing experience and really influenced how well the event went. MCIC would like to thank Lauren Sawchuk for her time and to congratulate Sisler High School for taking on an initiative as Global Citizens. We are looking for other schools to be profiled, so if your school has been contributing to the local community and to our world, then let us know! Contact Tyler at (204) or youth@mcic.ca.

4 MY Voice conference On May 23rd, the MCIC staff joined the Interlake School Division in co-facilitating the MY Voice Conference for Middle Years students. The conference was attended by approximately 250 students, representing nine schools throughout the Interlake School Division. The MCIC staff facilitated workshops on Landmines; Cluster Munitions and the Limits of War; Still Images and Image Theatre, Event Planning and Promoting, and how to make a Fair Trade school. The MY Voice Conference was a great success and provided the space for the students to participate in constructive and critical conversations on issues affecting our world. 250 students, representing nine schools throughout the Interlake School Division attended the MY Voice conference. First Young Adult Global Encounter trip to Peru a Success! On May 21st, 20 young adults from Lutheran congregations across Canada, and three of the Winnipeg office CLWR staff, returned safely from Peru! They were there to connect with their partner organization, Diaconia, and the work CLWR supports in the Casma region. They also visited some historic sites, including Machu Picchu, and a couple of partner communities in Lima. A news-item about the trip can be found here: News/news-brief.cfm?news_id=300 Pictures from the trip have been posted on the CLWR Youth Facebook page! More pictures, video, and stories will be made available over the coming weeks and months. If your school or community organization would like to hear more about this experience, please be in touch with Tyler Gringrich, Youth Engagement Coordinator at CLWR at (204) or tyler@clwr.mb.ca. With young people from across Canada, there is likely someone in driving distance from you who could share their experience of this Global Encounter! Sturgeon Heights Students Take Action Three students from Sturgeon Heights Collegiate (Anne Guffei, Taryn Lucas and Madelaine Lapointe) have been working with MCIC on their Take Action project as part of their Grade 12 Global Issues: Citizenship and Sustainability course. The project s goal is to promote Fair Trade as much as possible in the school. Anne, Taryn and Madelaine borrowed MCIC s Ethical Fashion Show Kit and some resources to educate and spread awareness to their classmates. They also sold $400 worth of Fair Trade chocolate tea, coffee and dried fruit and made a video to spread their message. Congratulations to these three global citizens. Click here to view their video.

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6 Global Students /Global Citizens Summer Manitoba Council for International Cooperation Smith St. Winnipeg, Manitoba R3C 1K2 Phone (204) Fax (204) youth@mcic.ca Program undertaken with the financial support of the Government of Canada provided through the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA)