UNESCO Committee
School/community name: Collège Pierre-Elliott-Trudeau, Winnipeg, MB
By P-J-TRASH on Flickr
Brief description/summary of project: To integrate the youth of our school with culture, and bring awareness on different aspects of Human Rights into the student body and community. Some of the Committee’s projects:
- Ecological (we are working on getting a greenhouse approved for the yard)
- Educational: Having students participate in things like Urban Plunge, conferences at the U of Winnipeg, and organizing assemblies and activities such as the 1800 Minute Famine for the Orphanage in Bolivia.
- Culture: Bringing an acceptance and knowledge of cultural activities and groups in the school.
- Science : Reducing carbon footprints, vermicomposting, etc.
What cost, if any, was involved? We are granted a certain budget from the school’s principal.
What approval had to be obtained for the project/initiative to be carried out? Depending on the project the Committee puts together we ultimately need the approval of the teacher, then the Principal, then the Division (depending on the size of the project.)
What problems was this project/initiative designed to address? Address problems in the community and bring awareness. Based on UNESCO : United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. We basically try to support that we are a UNESCO school and support the people around us and away from us.
Who organized/ran this initiative? This group is led by a teacher, the President, and the three sub committees of : Science, Culture and Education. There are then the rest of the students who just help out where they wish. All in all there are about 20-25 students in this committee.
What were the main responsibilities/tasks of the leaders/organizers? They make sure that the projects and their tasks in the projects run smoothly and that everyone is on the same page. Also finding projects for us to do.
What were the short-term goals? Make youth aware of the world around us, and gain confidence in what we believe in.
What were the long-term goals? As cliché as this is, to make a difference around us, and continue to fight for what we believe in. To continually make changes in the world around us, after school and throughout life.
Were these goals achieved? Yes they were. Here is a list of some of the projects that a small committee of 25 people and a school of 350 have achieved:
- We sponsor a Daycare and Orphanage in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, by bringing 2 teachers to spend the morning and evening there after school as it’s finished early and parents work late, bring one meal to the children, (we bought a new stove for them), etc. for one year.
- 1800 Minute Famine
- Urban Plunge
- Participants in the UN Annual Conference in NYC.
- Assemblies, ex. Hunger Banquet for all the school, Multiculturalism, etc.
- Walk with L’Arche
- Senior Citizen’s Prom, where people 55+ come to the school for a prom so that they learn to integrate with the youth of today and learn that not everyone is scary, and that we can all have a great time together. Last year we sold over 500 tickets. The seniors get so excited and it’s so amazing, you are able to see these beautiful elderly women all dressed up and everything and they go and dance to the bands, and it’s really eye-opening.
- The list goes on.
How did the initiative achieve these goals? Hard work, and a great group of youth who are committed to making a difference.
How did this initiative benefit the school or community? People are more aware, and we are recruiting more and more people every year.
Any additional information about this project/initiative: I really wish that more schools had the integration, and inspiration that our school community has. It really is like a giant family in that little school.