The kids have been hooked on this project since day one— Amber Currie, teacher
Who Is NOBODY?™ is highlighted on CBC 99.1 FM (Runs 4:47)
Metro Parenting – Karen Horsman
What does a doll and Honesty have in common? Actually, a lot! Ever since the McGuinty government in 2006 mandated Character Education in the elementary school system, all sorts of enterprising businesses have come with creative ideas to help schools teach their students about good character.
Our parenting columnist Karen Horsman is here to profile one of two character education initiatives, this week Karen takes a closer look at the Who is Nobody Project.
Audio at a Glance
School: Fallingbrook Public School
School Board: Durham District School Board
Grade: 2
Teacher: Amber Currie
Some Who Is NOBODY? Projects completed by this class: Helping the homeless & food bank, famine relief.
Karen Horsman shares her son’s experience building character with Who Is NOBODY?
Mark saw a program about kids starving in Africa 2 years earlier. What he had seen really bugged him. He wanted to make a difference. When NOBODY arrived in the class, and students followed the choose-your-own-adventure-style steps, Mark knew who he wanted to help. Ultimately Mark enlisted his older brother to aid him in doing odd jobs for neighbours to raise funds for children his age in need.
Mark’s teacher Amber Currie explains the kids were hooked on turning NOBODY into SOMEBODY, by helping others, the moment the program arrived in the class.
All sorts of projects have been completed and represented on NOBODY at Fallingbrook Public School in Whitby. Participants learn just how many organizations and causes are in need of time, materials and funds.
Founder of Who Is NOBODY?, Kelly Clark, is interviewed by CBC’s Metro Morning. She describes one reason she came up with the program. When supply teaching in the UK, Kelly made an effort to go to a different school each day. One day she’d be in a special education class, then she’d be at an inner city school, followed by a Gr. 10 class … Each day was different but there was one the same everywhere she went.
The people who were the happiest everywhere she went had respect for themselves and others.
Kelly noticed that students who did not have respect had low self-esteem, gave into peer pressure and were affected by bullying. Alternatively, students who respected themselves were open to learn and share, excited to try new things and not afraid to make mistakes.
When Kelly returned to Canada and had her own class, she wanted to teach them how to build respect in a way that was earned and lasting; she wanted her students to experience being part of something bigger than themselves.
This was aired on CBC Radio Metro Morning with Andy Barrie on January 15th 2008
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