Children Helping Children Through Education

Free The Children

Through leadership training at home and community development projects abroad, Free The Children empowers youth everywhere to make a difference. Their motto is Free children from poverty. Free children from exploitation. Free children from the idea that they are powerless to change the world.

"Free The Children is the world’s largest network of children helping children through education, with more than one million youth involved in our innovative education and development programs in 45 countries. Founded in 1995 by international child rights activist Craig Kielburger, Free The Children has a proven track record of success. The organization has received the World’s Children’s Prize for the Rights of the child (also known as the Children’s Nobel Prize), the Human Rights Award from the World Association of Non-Governmental Organizations, and has formed successful partnerships with leading school board and Oprah’s Angel Network."

~Free the Children

The Educator's resource page http://www.freethechildren.com/getinvolved/educator/ provides many ideas for teachers to help engage students in global citizenship and empowers students to get involved and make a difference. Global Voices is an exciting classroom-based program aimed at developing global citizens! Teachers can sign up to receive on-line articles and resources that help support their classroom Character Education program and inspire their students to change the world through issues-based activities and discussion. Sign up here:

http://www.freethechildren.com/getinvolved/educator/programs.php?type=global

For more information and resources to support student engagement and leadership in your school and classroom, please contact me.

Kerry Grbich
Program Team

Character Education Special Assignment Teacher, K-12

705-945-7433

TeacherTube

TeacherTube
Throughout the year I will share a variety of activities, programs and resources that you may choose to use in your classroom or school that support Character Education. Have fun exploring these resources and how they might fit in with your program and best meet the needs of your students.

The following website that I would like to share with you is called TeacherTube.com. It is a teacher resource website that includes a variety of videos, documents, channels,blogs,resources etc. uploaded by teachers. The site offers a number of inspirational videos to link Character to the curriculum. One video I find particularly useful for student globalization and leadership is called The Miniature Earth, If The World Were A Village of 100 People :

http://www.teachertube.com/viewVideo.php?video_id=59533&title=If_the_world_were_a_village_of_100_people .

This video may be used in conjunction with the rich mentor text If the World Were A Village by David Smith.

Enjoy!

Kerry Grbich

Program Team
ADSB Character Education Special Assignment Teacher, K-12
705-945-7433

Character Development Opportunities for Schools

Through the year I will share various Character initiatives and projects available to you to consider for your classroom and school. Here are a couple of great character development opportunities for your schools that you may want to investigate further. These two programs are student focused and provide practical authentic opportunities for student engagement and leadership.

Imagineaction

I discovered the first program called Imagineaction in the September Edition of Professionally Speaking. It is a social action project resource for teachers to support student-driven social-action projects in their classroom or school. Beginning on September 1st, teachers may access funds and community expertise to support student driven social action projects. The initiative established by the Canadian Teachers' Federation will "link teachers to community experts to encourage student-driven social-action projects following the six themes: connect (relationships), engage (active and participatory citizenship), thrive (health and wellness), lead (leadership), live (environmental sustainability) and care (poverty)."

The projects can deal with such issues as globalization,bullying, racism, human rights, environmental stewardship and equity. As stated in the article, the CTF believes that "quality education is about providing students with opportunities to infuse curriculum into real-world situations. Education is about being a part of a student's journey as a lifelong learner and problem solver- it is about teaching students to be critical thinkers and to look for opportunities to apply their knowledge in a transformative way". For more information,click on the website below.

http://www.imagine-action.ca/

Green Apple School Program

The second opportunity I would like to share is an Environmental Stewardship initiative called Green Apple Grants by METRO. This initiative from Metro was created to encourage students to participate in the development of a healthier environment. Since its induction in the fall of 2009, the program has rallied thousands of students from Ontario and Quebec and encouraged them to become involved in their school and make a difference in their community.
Metro has awarded hundreds of $1,000 grants to elementary and high schools with ideas for green projects in their communities and the company will distribute up to $1 million dollars for this program. The program offers ideas from previous projects and applying for the grant is as easy as filling in a quick form with your idea for your classroom or school.

So, what’s your green idea?
http://www.greenapplegrants.ca/

Good luck with your projects.

If you have any other special project grants or initiatives to share or if you require further information, please feel free to contact me.

Kerry Grbich

Program Team

ADSB Character Education Special Assignment Teacher, K-12

705-945-7433