Helping Hands profiles the efforts of schools and camps making a difference, whether it’s giving back to their local communities or influencing change overseas. First, Michelle Churchman from Trinity College School explains what their students gain through their work with the Free the Children organization, in their We Schools program.
At Trinity College School our service learning programme is very much rooted in our mission of “developing habits of the heart and mind for a life of purpose and service.” And we believe that Senior School (Grades 9-12) is a critical time in which to work on further developing strong values and integrity in our students. We regularly encourage our students to ask themselves, “How have I made a difference?” and “How will I continue to make a difference?”
We are working toward a service learning programme which is student-centered, sustainable and focused on building relationships. We believe that a dynamic service learning programme will help young people develop leadership skills, knowledge, genuine compassion and a lifelong commitment to service. We want our students to feel empowered to act on their desire to give back and to strengthen their awareness of injustice. We aim to develop responsible global citizens – individuals whose actions add harmony to the world.
Our relationship with Free The Children really began to take shape last year, when three of our students held the dream of travelling to Ecuador to help build a school for a community in need. Through their efforts and the work of supporting faculty members, they connected with Free The Children to begin making this dream a reality. In December of 2009, a group of twelve students and three chaperones embarked on the first stage of a five-year commitment to the community of San Miguel in the Chimborazo province of Ecuador. The group travelled to San Miguel for two weeks, spending time with younger children in the community, playing soccer and teaching them games, working with older students to learn Spanish and English, and digging ditches for the second phase of their high school for their Grade 9 classroom. This was an amazing and life-changing experience for all those involved and our relationship with Free The Children has been blossoming ever since, leading to a nomination(as just one of eight schools in the province) by Free The Children for its “Celebration of Champions” this past April. Our headmaster and a handful of students travelled to Toronto to receive the award from the Honourable David C. Onley, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario.
Currently, under the leadership of faculty member Steph Feddery, sixteen students are preparing to return to San Miguel next month. This time, the group will be working to improve access to, and sanitation of, the water in this community. TCS is so pleased to be able to participate in opportunities such as this, which would not be possible without the incredible organization, support and leadership of Free The Children.
Local initiatives are also alive and well at TCS. In September, TCS had 300 students attend Free The Children’s We Day. The students had been looking forward to this day since Marc Keilburger, co-founder of Free the Children, addressed the TCS student body last spring. Earlier that month, our Grade 9 class travelled to Free The Children’s new residential space for an overnight trip focused on team building and leadership. Our Grade 11 and 12 students were lucky to have the entire Me to We Leadership Team on campus for a day to run a Global Leadership Seminar; students were engaged in activities and discussions surrounding global awareness, leadership styles and action planning. Most recently, under the leadership of Trinity Students for Social Justice (TSSJ), TCS ran a successful Halloween For Hunger canned food drive – another Free The Children initiative.
What’s next for service learning at Trinity College School? We have our second annual Week Without Walls beginning December 13, 2010. During this week, all 450 senior students and all faculty members will spend the afternoons engaged in up to 50 different service sites including Free The Children’s head office. I look forward to sharing more updates on TCS service initiatives and our work with Free The Children in future posts!
[Michelle Churchman is the current director of service learning at Trinity College School, an independent school in Port Hope, Ontario for students in Grades 5-12.]
