Sept. 30, 2010 - Early this morning, several of our students travelled to the Air Canada Centre in Toronto with their teachers to participate in "We Day". They came together with celebrities, musicians, authors, activists, and students alike came together for Free the Children‘s fourth annual We Day. It was a day-long celebration of all the inspirational accomplishments that young people have contributed to increase global access to food, shelter, medical services, and education. It's youth fighting for youth, and We Day is meant to reward these efforts with performances and speeches that entertain as well as educate.
Toronto's audience saw artists like K'Naan and Jacob Hoggard, authors Deepak Chopra and Betty Williams, Olympic gold-medalist Alexandre Bilodeau,
and speakers like former child soldier Michel Chikwanine and Free the Children co-founders Craig and Mark Keilburger.
The Me to We Philosophy..."If we cannot win the game, perhaps we need to change the rules. It's time that the "me" generation makes way for the "we" generation - people who understand that they are part of something larger than themselves.
The Me to We philosophy is grounded in only one habit. Some may call it a step forward in thinking, presenting a fresh and dynamic way of looking at the world. Others might see it as a step backward, a return to the simplest, purest and most basic impulse of humanity: to reach out to each other for survival. From either perspective, this philosophy presents a change in focus -- a shift from the inside out -- and the redefinition of meaning, success, happiness and community." ~ Craig Kielburger and Marc Kielburger
For schools in the program, it's the ideal opportunity to have their students take on leadership roles, collaborate with others with similar goals and passions, and expand their perceptions of both the community and the world at large. All participating schools can network together, receive in-training sessions and action ideas from Free the Children representatives, and follow a 5-step plan throughout the year.
1. Commit: Application
2. Get inspired: Attend or watch We Day
3. Get educated: Attend an in-service and receive classroom materials
4. Take action: Schools embark on one local and one global action
5. Share it: Submission of reports 1 and 2, detailing action plans and successes.
Find out more at these links:
