by Jessica Jones Pipestone Flyer Freelancer
Students at Clear Vista School in Wetaskiwin are gaining an understanding of the root causes of poverty and are empowered to do something about it.
Throughout the year students from kindergarten to Grade 8, their families, teachers and school staff have been busy fundraising to build a school in a country that is less fortunate, upon Clear Vista School’s 15th anniversary.
Ryan Mennear, Grade 6 teacher at Clear Vista School, says that the school’s activism and charity work started five years ago after some Grade 6 students were fortunate to visit We Day in Calgary.
We Day is a gathering of thousands of youth centred around the We Charity. The event attempts to empower students with a year of action, along with providing them the tools and resources to identify local and global issues.
Throughout various fundraising events, planned by Clear Vista’s We Crew committee, the school was able to garner enough funds needed to build a school in Kenya five years ago.
“We were blessed with a new school in 2003, and we wanted to do that for someone else,” Mennear explained.
But the school didn’t want to stop there and is just $2,000 short of its goal of raising $10,000 to build another school in honour of it’s 15-year anniversary.
“I am just stunned and floored by what the young generation is doing out there,” Mennear said. “They are so gung-ho and eager to participate and a lot of this is done on their own time,” he added, mentioning that school community has donated many things for fundraising events like bake sales, water balloon tosses, pie throws, candy sales and bottle drives, just to name a few.
Clear Vista hasn’t just concentrated on poverty and access to education on a global spectrum, the school’s We Crew committee has also planned events to support the Red Cross, the local food bank, and even attended the Hope Mission in Wetaskiwin.
The We Charity is a four-step program delivered to participating schools, which challenges students to identify local and global issues that spark their passion.
Mannear says it’s up to the We Crew committee which country they wish to have the school built in once they’ve completed their goal of raising $10,000. Clear Vista will attempt to raise enough funds to build a school in a developing country every five years.
Those interested in helping Clear Vista School reach its goal are encouraged to make a donation at the school.