The Weekly News
This year Caudle Park Elementary School teachers Gail Baird and Amy MacAskill taught their Grade 2 and Grade 3 year students how to mix compassion and business by helping them design and market a product that would be sold to benefit two worthwhile charities. Much to everyone's surprise the chewing gum package the children ended up designing turned out to be a huge hit and "Chew Your Way to Health and Peace" became a profit maker over night.
"We produced 1,000 units and sold them all," said Baird. "It was amazing."
The project was part of an entrepreneurial program the children were participating in.
"We had a local businessman come in and talk with the students about owning a business and designing a product," said Baird. "The class was divided into four teams, logo, design, publishing and advertising."
The students brainstormed product ideas, names and packaging designs, and had several business meetings. Eventually after lengthy discussions and a class vote the designing of a gum package was chosen as their project. They even decided on the flavour of the gum. They decided to sell the gum at $2 a pack.
When it came time to decide on what to do with the $1,000 profit, once again the decision was left up to the students.
They were given a list of potential charities. They chose The IWK and Pennies for Peace, a program Baird had learned about while reading the book Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace ... One School at a Time.
The book's co-author American Greg Mortenson, had attempted to climb K2 (the second highest mountain on earth) in his sister's memory, but he didn't make it and he became ill.
"He ended up in a small town in Pakistan where he was nursed back to health," said Baird. "He wanted to repay the people and when he realized there were no schools he decided he was going to find a way to build one."
Soon his story got out and schools across the U.S. decided to collect pennies to help him with the project. Now, thanks in part to those pennies, schools are being built in Afghanistan and Pakistan in villages where children need them most.
Through this program children learn that while a penny is virtually worthless to us, in impoverished countries a penny buys a pencil, and despite their tender age, Grade 2 students Justin Hudgins, Lauren MacLellan and Angeleah O'Reilly understand the importance of helping others.
Hudgins sold 50 packages of gum, the third highest number in the class. He's spent time in the IWK and thinks both charities are equally as important.
"What we're doing is really nice," he said. "I hope the kids in the IWK get better stuff and kids in Afghanistan and Pakistan need money for stuff too. We're lucky to live here."
Lauren MacLellan agreed.
"I think we put in a lot of effort," said MacLellan. "I like sending money to Pennies for Peace because they need help because sometimes they had to write in the dirt."
Baird was proud to share an email sent to the students from Pennies for Peace.
"Please let the students know we appreciate their outstanding support. Their coins will be used to purchase school supplies, pay teachers and assist with new school construction. The have provided an opportunity for many children to attend school."
blhall@eastlink.ca
