Well Under Way.....

Wow! We are completely overwhelmed with all of the support we have received during the beginning weeks of our campaign. A HUGE thank-you to all those who have sponsored us or provided steak night prizes.

Through this experience, we have initiated some great discussion around global citizenship. People have been excited to talk about what it means, how to do it best and where to take our initiatives in the future. We have also run into some criticism about global citizenship vs. local programming. I thought it would be a good idea to share our thought process around picking this initiative and explain how thinking globally befits us locally as well.

This summer, our journey to grow into more globally minded citizens is taking us to Nicaragua in what is sure to be an eye opening and humbling experience. Our time there will be spent on 2 main initiatives; building a house and programming with local children involving arts/sports and English tutoring.We wanted an initiative that had a lasting positive benefit on the community and the children we're working with. Once we return, we will all be using our experiences to better our teaching practices and develop some local initiatives that help students in Yorkton develop important skills such as literacy but our focus or theme will be inevitably be about global citizenship. We know it is important to give back in our own communities as well. However we fell being a global citizen does not detract from local issues but adds depth and a larger understanding. 

Being a global citizen means thinking about your identity on a larger scale. Thinking about the human community as interdependent and a whole, we focus on the idea that humanity is essentially one. Shifting focus in this direction, we build a stronger understanding of how our actions and place in the world affect others. Everything we do affects the world around us. Our impact reaches farther than we often imagine. So, how can the work we do in all areas of our life not affect the greater good of humanity?

Global Citizenship: Our Journey to Nicaragua!

Go Fund Me!

Hey everyone - we are hard at work today planning for a few of our fundraising events. We spoke with a few business owners in the area who are on board for supporting us over the next several months. (Brock Junek - Tu eres el hombre!)
As a side note, Duolingo - I'm sorry I've been yelling at you in Spanish over the last few days, but I'm trying really hard to learn Spanish.

I'm happy to say we've successfully launched our Gofundme page, which you can find here. Thank you SO much to everyone who has donated already, it really is amazing to have the support of family, friends, colleagues and future friends. Please remember to share, share, share!

Here we go....

As educators, we are constantly working with our students and helping them to be global citizens. At our school, we have a variety of clubs and programs that promote these efforts and our students are always thrilled to help out and do their part to give back to their global community.

That got us thinking. Is it just the responsibility of our students? Sure, we donate our time often to supervise them and guide them in different ways they become global citizens. But, is there more we can be doing?

That is why the four of us: Elora Wiest, Christa Schmelinsky, Kendra Helfrich and Karen Ward have set out on a journey. We are trying to take our own advice and do what we can to give back to our global community. With hard work, the help of friends, family and the community we plan on setting out to Granada, Nicaragua this summer. 

The goal of our trip is to:

• Build a home for a family in need
• Work in some of their schools one on one with students who need help
• Build a lasting relationship with some of the poorest communities in the western hemisphere

The purpose and goal of this blog is to:

• Keep a record of our entire journey. From fundraising to working abroad, we want to keep a record. 
• Keep our friends and family up to date. 
• Thank our business sponsors publicly (go visit these businesses!)
• Inform people about upcoming fundraisers and events

The next five months have a lot in store for us! We are excited to take you along on this journey as we try to do our part in making the world a better place!

-Elora, Kendra, Christa and Karen