I've been working with a group of five students to form a club in school. They are interested in making a change in the world, and living that change. They are considering a list of options for causes to support, both in fundraising and awareness raising. They have some wonderful ideas, and I wanted to throw a few into the mix as well.
If you are interested in doing a Bonus Assignment once you are done all your work, check out the websites below and think about some ways that students at Fielding (including you!) can contribute. You can write a comment here telling me that you've made a new post on your own blog. In your post. describe one or more of the causes I linked to and write about ways we can support them. Not only can this score you bonus marks, but we may use some of your fantastically creative ideas in our new (as yet unnamed) social consciousness club!
Help Lesotho - I travelled to Lesotho, a small country inside South Africa four years ago with an organization called Help Lesotho. Many students helped me to raise money and write letters for the children in this developing country. They do lots of wonderful things to help children.
SOS Children's Villages - When I was in Lesotho, I got to visit an amazing orphanage run by SOS Children's Villages. It is different than most orphanages, in that they build "families". Ten children live in a house together with a foster "mother" and grow up as brothers and sisters. There are several SOS Children's Villages around the world.
Kids Helping Kids - Kids Helping Kids is an organization that empowers youth to make a difference in the world. They work on a number of different projects.
The Happy Factory - The Happy Factory has a mission to provide a toy for every child around the world. They helped me out when I went to Africa by sending me a huge box of amazing toys that I was able to distribute in Lesotho. For many of the children who received toys, it was the first one they'd ever had. Pretty incredible.
Ryan's Well - There are many influential Canadians who will leave a legacy long after they're gone. One of those was a young boy named Ryan. From the age of six (!), he started raising money and telling people about the need for clean drinking water for all children. His organization, Ryan's Well, is helping to make that a reality.
Free the Children - Another inspirational young Canadian, Craig Kielburger started an organization called Free the Children when he was twelve years old. Their mission is to end child labour and provide schooling for all children, regardless of where they were born. Free the Children does unbelievable projects, from building schools to the Vow of Silence to Me to We Day.
Did you find any other great sites? What are your awesome ideas? Who inspired you? What projects were you moved by?
