To reinforce our goal of promoting cross-cultural understanding through books, in February 2010 PaperTigers launched its Spirit of PaperTigers (SPT) Project. As part of this project, we have been donating a set of books which reflect the aims of PaperTigers to schools and libraries in different parts of the world, focusing mostly, though not exclusively, on places where resources are particularly lacking. The seven books that form the SPT set were chosen because, as well as being an enjoyable read and beautifully presented, their content and focus contribute to bridging cultures and opening minds, and promote greater understanding and empathy among young people from different backgrounds, countries, and ethnicities.
When I told Mrs. Chantal Dickson, Grade 3 teacher at Anmore Elementary School in Anmore, BC, Canada, about the SPT project she was very keen to take part. Although Anmore School may not be considered “needy” in financial terms, it is a very unique school in that the student population and surrounding neighbourhood really do not reflect British Columbia’s visibly multi-ethnic society.
Anmore Elementary School….(click on photos to enlarge)
Because of feedback we have been receiving from earlier recipients of the SPT book set, we decided to try something a little different with Mrs. Dickson and provide more than one set of the books – especially as she often breaks her class down into small literature circles of about five or six students. Each circle reads and talks about the books amongst themselves, and then the groups are brought together for class discussions. To help facilitate the use of the books in this setting, we sent Mrs. Dickson six book sets. This amounted to 42 books so I recruited my daughter, who attends Anmore, and four of her friends to help me deliver the books…
Heading up the hill to the Mrs. Dickson’s class…
5 happy helpers and 1 very excited teacher…
We look forward to hearing how Mrs. Dickson uses the books in her class and of course receiving feedback from the students. I al
Georgia is a Grade 5 student in Mrs. Whiffin’s class at Anmore Elementary School in Anmore, BC, Canada. Over the past year she has learned a lot about the power she has to change the world! She shared this with her classmates last week at Anmore Elementary School’s Public Speaking Contest:
‘We can do no great things only small things with great love.” This is a quote by someone you might know, Mother Teresa. She is talking about how the small things we do can add up to big changes if we do them with great love.Hi my name is Georgia I am going to tell you all about Kiva, something I have been working on in class.
Kiva is an organization that helps people by lending them money so they can start a small business, then they give it back so we can lend it to someone else that needs it. When I was first introduced to Kiva I thought it was amazing because we were really helping people and it felt very good.
My friend and I were the first people to fundraise for our class. I remember we went to my house and got a big container of lemonade, some freezies, popsicles and off to work we went! Although my friend ate our only popsicle it was really fun!
When it rolled around to December my friends and I did a lot. One time for an hour or so we made and sold hot chocolate.It was so cold I had to borrow a pair of boots.
I think my most memorable experience is when my friend and I organized to carol for Kiva, a few days before Christmas. It was really fun! We all had jingle bells in our hands and we made one hundred and eighty eight dollars. One house even gave us chocolate.
Then…I finally got a chance to make a loan. One of my favorite people that I loaned to is Petrona. Petrona is a 66 year old woman taking care of her three grandchildren. She lives in Nigeria and there the literacy rates are very low, only 68% of females can read and write. Most of the people I have lent to work on less than a dollar a day! When we loan to people they use it for their business. Petrona used it for clothes and food to sell at her small shop. Many people use it for things like a fridge or farming tools. Maybe even a peanut crusher for their peanut butter mill.
As you can see people have such hard lives most of the time, we have very simple lives compared to them. That is why I think more people should get involved with organizations like Kiva. Like Mother Teresa said, “we can do small things with great love.”
The Power of Children to Change the World was the theme of our previous PaperTigers issue. Click on the words to access the archived interviews, articles, reviews and resources
After reading our previous PaperTigers issue, “The Power of Children to Change the World”, Mrs. Whiffin updated me on the Kids for Kiva project taking place in her Grade 4/5 classroom at Anmore Elementary School. Mrs. Whiffin decided to show her students one way they could change the world and launched an integrated social responsibility unit based on Kiva’s micro-financing website, whereby students electronically assist people in poverty from around the world by providing them with small business loans. The concept of micro-financing is a phenomenon that’s grown in popularity in recent years given its ability to connect donors and philanthropists with budding entrepreneurs in developing countries. Two books featured in our previous PaperTigers issue - One Hen: How One Small Loan Made A Big Difference, and Give a Goat - are based on this concept and after reading about them on PaperTigers, Mrs. Whiffin has ordered them for the class.
Mrs. Whiffins states the Kiva Project doesn’t just tap into the social responsibility curriculum, but lessons in math, statistics, literacy, geography and leadership.
We are learning about the world and how we can make a difference. We have been lending to Kiva now for over a year. In the first year, we raised over $1100 as a class. This year, we have already reloaned the money that has come back to us (approximately $775). My students this year have also embarked on their own fundraising efforts to give them a chance to connect to the project. Amazingly, they have raised over $1300 so far!!! The fun part is making the loan! Each of us chooses a project and researches the region, community and business to determine which project we will support. The kids are so aware of the world! They also use statistics to justify their decisions and have become amazing at working with all kinds of numbers.
Mrs. Whiffin’s project has been a huge success and when it came time to write for the annual speech writing contest, one of her students chose to share her Kiva experiences. Check back tomorrow to read Georgia’s inspiring speech.
