TODAY’S STUDENT LEADERS LEARN FIRST HAND LESSONS ABOUT CIVIC RESPONSIBILITY
AT THE “MY WORLD CONFERENCE”
CALGARY – Hundreds of student leaders will gather to learn from socially-minded community leaders and one another at the Calgary Board of Education’s “My World Conference.”
“My World Conference” unites approximately 550 middle and junior high school student leaders with local, national and international organizers and activists to help them enhance their civic-mindedness and service to others. Students participate in three of twenty-four sessions, among them: World Vision Canada will explain the challenges to children’s health throughout the world, the Ujamaa Grandmas will discuss the phenomenon of orphaned children in sub-Saharan Africa and the UEnd Foundation will discuss innovative gift-giving strategies to help eradicate poverty. Students with the Uganda Partnership and the Legacy Corporation of Vincent Massey School will also lead a session on sharing with the less fortunate (session descriptions are below). From these sessions, students will be challenged to initiate and participate in school projects that support fellow students and community members.
The day begins with a keynote address by Louise Kent, the executive director of “Me To We Music,” a socially-conscious music enterprise that spreads a message of kindness, compassion and service to others through music.
In the afternoon students will rejoin their schoolmates to reflect on how their schools can initiate projects designed to address these social challenges.
Media are invited to attend the CBE’s “My World Conference – Student Leadership Conference” February 18, 2010 at Sir John G. Diefenbaker High School, located at 6620 - 4 Street N.W. Program runs from 8:30am – 11:30am. For more information call Ted Flitton, CBE Communications, at (403) 819-2317.
“My World Conference” Session Details
1 |
Speaker: World Vision Canada
Session Title: Global Child Health: The Time to Act is Now
Session information: We are 5 years away from 2010 and the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. Goals 4 and 5 of improving maternal and child health have still a long way to go. We need governments to support long-term sustainable community development to improve maternal and child health. (I will explain in depth what community development looks like). The G8 Leaders are meeting in Ontario in June 2010 and youth can help influence their discussions to help put maternal and child health on the agenda, in order to achieve the millennium development goals. As well, youth can get involved by fundraising to support community development activities that enable communities to rise out of poverty. |
2 |
Speaker: United Way of Calgary and Area
Session Title: Live United
Session information: United Way of Calgary and Area will take you on a journey to explore how “Living United” we can change the community we live in and the unique role that United Way plays in our city. Over 20 % of Calgary families live in poverty. Gain understanding of our social services system and hear the stories of young people who need them. Learn what we are doing and what you can do to help the hungry, hurt and homeless right here, right now. |
3 |
Speaker: Ujamaa Grandmas
Session Title: 11 000 000 African Orphans: How Can I Help???
Session information: There are approximately 11,000,000 orphans in sub-Saharan Africa. Using a power point slide show and a brief film clip, Ujamaa Grandma presenters will outline the plight of these orphans and of the grandmothers who care for 60% of them, as well as the reality of child-headed households. The session will explain how the Grandmothers to Grandmothers Campaign helps the Stephen Lewis Foundation provide food, health care, opportunity for education and community support for the orphans and their caregivers. There will be time for questions, discussion and sharing of ideas about how we can all help. |
4 |
Speaker: UEnd Foundation
Session Title: How to End Poverty without Holding a Single Fundraiser!
Session information: In this session, Amy will review some of the economics behind gift spending and how youth can contribute to the fight against ending poverty simply by asking for a different kind of gift at holiday occasions, birthdays etc. This session is meant to inspire and empower youth by giving them the easy to use tools that make a huge difference! |
5 |
Speaker: Child and Youth Friendly Calgary
Session Title: Be a Super Hero in Your Community
Session information:
This session will involve interactive games, discussions and videos. Learn how you can volunteer to go shopping for unprivileged kids, make ceramic bowls out of clay, or be in the Calgary Stampede Parade. |
6 |
Speaker: Child and Youth Friendly Calgary
Session Title: Be a Super Leader in Your Community
Session information:
This session will involve interactive games and activities. Learn about the various ways you can be a leader in your community. Some examples are how to plan an award ceremony, give out money for youth events, or discuss youth issues with the Mayor. |
7 |
Speaker: Special Olympics Calgary
Session Title: Changing Lives Through Sport!
Session information:
Special Olympics Calgary (SOC) will show you how you can make a difference in the lives of individuals with an intellectual disability through a positive sport experience. We will also show you what impact the volunteers have in making this organization what it is today. You will also meet a Special Olympics Calgary athlete. This athlete will tell you what it is like to be a SOC athlete and how this organization has positively impacted their life. |
8 |
Speaker: CUPS (Calgary Urban Project Society) Health & Education Centres
Session Title: CUPS & Family Homelessness
Session information:
Part 1 - 15 minutes: Herman will describe CUPS mission & programming.
Part 2 - 15 minutes: Tasha & Delilah Brown, a mother-daughter homeless advocate team, will speak on the experience of homelessness & what they are doing in terms of advocacy.
Part 3 – 15 minutes: Q & A with the audience. |
9 |
Speaker: Calgary Interfaith Food Bank
Session Title: Kids Helping Kids in your Community
Session information:
Interactive discussion regarding who needs emergency food, community connections, volunteerism, nutrition, emergency hampers, and making a difference in your community. |
10 |
Speaker: Spread the Love
Session Title: Leading as a Change-maker: Building a Movement for Social Change
Session information:
In this high-energy session Rob Aronson, Founder of Spread the Love (www.spreadthelove.ca) outlines a blueprint for youth leaders, whether they are running an innovative program within an organization or starting-up a brand-new project. Session members will contemplate the difference between ‘leader’ and ‘ambassador’, distinguish between ‘networking’ and ‘relationship building’ and explore other exciting themes such as passing on the torch of leadership; making the most of your skills; spearheading pilot projects; leveraging social marketing; and harnessing the power of mentorship. Each participant will experience the insights, lessons and stories in context of Spread the Love’s campaign addressing local poverty and homelessness. |
11 |
Speaker: CAWST (Centre for Affordable Water and Sanitation Technology)
Session Title: CAWST: Think Water; a challenge for Canadian Youth
Session information:
More than 1.1 billion people around the world do not have access to clean drinking water. And waterborne illnesses cause the deaths of over 4,900 people per day, most of them children under the age of five. The Calgary-based Centre for Affordable Water and Sanitation Technology (CAWST) provides technical training and consulting services, and acts as a catalyst to make clean water and sanitation projects a reality for the poorest people in the developing world.
Come learn about CAWST and how Canada’s youth can play a part. |
12 |
Speaker: Samaritan’s Purse
Session Title: Boxes for Kids, Tools for Women
Session information:
There are thousands of families living in extreme poverty around world. These women and children are vulnerable and often end up trafficked and in the sex and pornography industry. Samaritan’s Purse, through our IF Women’s Campaign and Operation Christmas Child project, works with local partners to end this cycle of violence. Through OCC and IF you can make a positive difference in someone’s life – it’s simple, inexpensive, and powerful. See the pictures and hear the stories that will move YOU to DO something! |
13 |
Speaker: The Kids Cancer Care Foundation of Alberta
Session Title: Kids Helping Kids
Session information:
We will discuss who we are, what we do and how young people can make a difference in the lives of children with cancer. |
14 |
Speaker: Stephanie Petrowitsch
Session Title: Global Youth Network: Building a Generation of Leaders Who Care About the World. My Journey to Uganda
Session information: This session will be lead by a current volunteer with the Canadian organization - Global Youth Network. This twenty year old U of C student traveled to Uganda, Africa in May 2009 and is leading a team back to Uganda this spring. She will talk about her journey to the small East African country and how a one month trip has changed her outlook on social and justice issues that most developing countries face. This session will aim to show students that it really only takes 1 person to make a small, yet powerful change in this world. |
15 |
Speaker: Inn From The Cold Society
Session Title: Homelessness
Session information:
Session will consist of a brief overview of Inn from the Cold and the work we do in the community and the organizations we partner with in order to do the work. There will be an interactive question period for students. The students will participate in developing solutions from their perspectives using a collaborative method of group exercise. |
16 |
Speaker: A Gift of Love - Alissa Coulter and Michelle Cameron Coulter
In cooperation with CUPS
Session Title: The Face of Possibility
Session information: How and idea from 3 children ages 10, 8, and 6 who wanted to make a difference by simple sharing what they had, impacted the lives of thousands of children
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17 |
Speaker: Uganda Partnership and the Legacy Corporation of Vincent Massey School
Session Title: Why Should we Care?
Session information: This session is an exploration of student motivation to make a difference. A student run business at Vincent Massey Jr. High called the Legacy Corporation and their work with World Vision the Uganda Partnership will be highlighted. Last year the Legacy Corporation in partnership with World Vision raised $28,000 to build a preschool in Senegal. This year they have adapted a village in Uganda. They have already provided scholarship for orphans, provided micro-loans to 90 widows, sold baskets for women in this village, provided emergency food relief for 120 families, provided a house loan, and sponsored a sports day for youth. Currently they are raising money to buy land to build a community development center.
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18 |
Speaker: Cause Canada
Session Title: TBA
Session information: TBA
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19
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Speaker: The Mustard Seed – Bill Nixon
Session Title: TBA
Session information: TBA
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20
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Speaker: Wood’s Homes Foundation
Session Title: Family Feuds – How to Play the Game
Session information: This session will focus on different various types of conflict families’ experience. It will address these concerns from a youth’s perspective, discuss conflict resolution within the family and ways to prevent escalation of crisis situations. The session will also discuss coping strategies for dealing with stress and offer community supports that are available to youth.
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21 |
Speaker: Calgary Native Friendship Centre
Session Title: TBA
Session information: TBA |
22 |
Speaker: Penbrooke Meadows Boys and Girls Club
Session Title: Have fun at the Boys and Girls Club!
Session information: Do you want to have fun, learn more about your talents and gain new skills? Do you want to make a difference in the lives of children and your community? Join us at the Boys and Girls Club! In our session you’ll learn about our many volunteer and summer employment opportunities, and our upcoming recreational programs. You’ll also be playing some games and having some fun in activities like the Human Knot, Move Your Bum and Choose a Side!
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