A local world issues class is hoping to make a global impact.
The Grade 12 Canadian and World Issues class at Westgate Collegiate and Vocational Institute introduced their classmates to the Girl Effect Thursday.
Each year the Canadian and World and Issues class chooses a non-government organization to research, create presentations about and fundraiser for. This year the class chose the Girl Effect, a global organization that supports girls in developing nations through education, health care, business and advocacy for human rights.
“What we’re trying to do is give girls more opportunities, both locally and internationally, so what the Girl Effect does is it gives women all around the world more choice,” said Grade 12 student Erin Hansen.
“It gives them the choice to go to school, the choice of when they want to get married, when they want to have children.”
By giving a girl living in poverty a leg up in life, it helps her create a more stable life for herself and in turn stabilizes life for her family, her children and so on.
The students are also raising awareness and collecting clothing and household items for two local women’s shelters – the Faye Peterson Shelter House and the Beendigen Women’s Crisis Home.
Hansen said the two shelters offer vital services to the community by giving women somewhere to go when they feel there is nowhere else to turn.
“Lots of times when these women leave where they are coming from, they have nothing. They don’t bring anything with them. All they do is escape,” said Hansen. “We’re trying to get them clothing and items so they can start a new life.”
In addition to giving presentations to their fellow students, Hansen and her classmates will be conducting small fundraisers like a hallway toll, a candy day and passing out pledge forms.
Canadian and World Issues teacher Jerry Pilot said while the project addresses much of the required curriculum, it also teaches the students about the world around them.
“If you have teenage kids, you know they are interested in other things. They tend not to watch the news on a regular basis,” he said. “This does kind of force them into learning a little bit about the world around them as well as I think they get great pride in the fundraising initiatives.”
