The grade one class at John Allison Elementary School have put their hands and their hearts into a project to help children in Cambodia and Thailand.
“It’s important to talk about the world to awaken a passion for change,” says grade one teacher Shanna Nelson.
Nelson wants her students to understand that they “can make a difference and that they carry this with them far beyond grade one.”
She and her students have been discussing what they could do to help others who are less fortunate than themselves.
Some of the ideas the children came up with were; getting food to those people who don’t have enough, raising money to help animals, and to bring stuff from home that they don’t need and that they could share with others.
A tangible idea, one the students could feel, see and relate to, is that of decorated blankets. “A blanket symbolizes warmth and love,” said Nelson.—It became their first project.
The blankets will be on the way at the end of the week with friends of Nelson’s—Tamara and Pace Nichvolodoff as they head out on a missionary trip Cambodia and Thailand.
The couple are hoping to be able to take photos of the children who receive the blankets, so the grade one class can see who they have helped, but will not know if that is possible until they arrive there.
In the meantime, these little global citizens are already discussing their next project.