Credenda Global Service
Small Acts, Big Change
After looking at variations in family types and marriages and different factors that affect family members overall and individually, a final assessment choice in ELCD's Family Studies course was the "Pay It Forward Project". Students would do random acts of kindness, reflect, and then connect their experience to the course outcomes. This was a powerful learning experience for one student who wrote:
Well my pay it forward started off after watching the video you posted “Change for a Dollar”. That video opened my eyes for a whole new beginning of what matters in my life. I thank you from the bottom of my heart Kasey for that video it sure made me and my children think differently about life and wanting so many material things...
I have found great value in this project that ties into this course. I have the ability to look at all people as equals and no reasons to judge anyone. I also see how we all like to have a little help from others at one time or another.
I also would like to end off this by saying this project is one that will not end after that last word is typed it will last in my heart forever.
Click here to read the whole life changing assignment.
Together We Can!
Credenda has a Sister School! The Amani School in Tanzania wrote in a reply to our invitation"We hope through our relationship with Credenda Virtual High School and Amani School, our students will be educated in all spheres of life (Holistic)."
Amani School Reply |
Sample Student Letter |
Sample Student Letter |
Interested in writing a letter to Amani School students? As the school isn't online, Credenda would be happy to snail mail your letter. Please practice patience in waiting for a reply as it can takes months. Email us at bethechange@credenda.net (if the computer you are using is not set up to send emails, please copy and paste bethechange@credenda.net into your personal email account). Photos welcome. Because of differences between our two cultures, we reserve the right to edit all letters.
If you wish to donate or have raised funds for our sister school, please call us at 1.866.910.2847. Our Finance Manager Janice Hill will be happy to act as facilitator. Also, we are a registered charitable organization so we can issue receipts for income tax purposes.
"Amani" in Swahili means peace. The Virtue's Project Reflection Card for peace says that in the practice of peacefulness "We choose the unity of peace over the fragmentation of fear." The Amani School motto "Together We Can" mirrors this unity of peace and through education the school can displace the fragmentation of fear and ignorance with courage and understanding.
Collaborating with us is Heather Kropp who taught at the Amani School. It is literally growing a grade a year and it has added English as a subject. Kropp explained that this is very proactive as English is used in high schools in Tanzania. With the addition of English, new textbooks are needed. She provided this modest list:
English Textbooks
- Pre-K and Kindergarten $200 per class set
- Grade 1 and 2 $280 per class set
- Grade 4 $350 per class set
- School desks and furniture
- Computer and printer
- TV $500
Credenda's first donation of $2000 from staff contributions to "Casual Friday" was thankfully accepted by the school. With Standard Four starting in January 2011, the funds will be used for textbooks and desks. Standard Four is equivalent to Grade Four but students start Standard One at age 7 rather than age 6. (Secondary school, or high school, consists of Forms 1-4.)
The school has a holistic philosophy. To meet their student's physical needs, they supply a meal of porridge enhanced with moringa powder, a powerful super food. The total for a year's supply of porridge ingredients is $2870.
Money is also needed for the new classrooms added each year. Kropp explains that the most cost effective way is to add three rooms at a time.
The area has no electric infrastructure so electricity is produced by generators or solar panels. Where there is a will there is a way though, and we can communicate by snail mail and an email account that is checked a couple times a month when a school staffer is in the city of Tanga.
What Is Generosity?
Generosity is giving and sharing. It is giving freely because you want to, not with the idea of receiving a reward or a gift in return. Generosity is being aware that there is plenty for everyone. It is seeing a chance to give what you have and then giving just for the joy of giving. It is one of the best ways to show love and friendship. (Popov, Linda Kavelin. The Virtues Project Educator's Guide. Austin: Pro-Ed, 2000, p. 173.)
Previous Service Projects
Credenda Cares for Haiti
After the devastating earthquake, Credenda generously matched student and staff donations of $1815. This donation of $3630 was in turn matched by the Canadian government for an amazing total of $7260.
Free the Children
Our student chosen charity in 2008-09 was Free the Children (FTC). Founded by Canadian Craig Kielburger when he was only 12, FTC eloquently illustrates how one person can change the world. Motivated by an awareness of the injustice of child slave labour in developing countries, Kielburger, with 11 school friends, began to raise awareness of and funds for children's issues. FTC is now a world recognized youth organization.From http://www.freethechildren.com/aboutus/index.php:
The primary goals of the organization are to free children from poverty and exploitation and free young people from the notion that they are powerless to affect positive change in the world. Through domestic empowerment programs and leadership training, Free The Children inspires young people to develop as socially conscious global citizens and become agents of change for their peers around the world. Free The Children has built more than 500 schools around the world and has reached more than one million young people through outreach in North America. Free The Children is a children's charity registered in Canada, the United States, Japan, China, Mexico, Kenya, Sri Lanka and other countries around the world.Check out our student written blog at http://credendafreethechildrenteam.blogspot.com/.
Save Darfur
A student poll selected Save Darfur as our second year charity project. The Sudanese government is systematically clearing Darfur in the hopes of exploiting its oil resources. eStudents were encourage to watch The Devil Came on Horseback, a movie documenting the horrors of the genocide in Darfur. Although not a great financial success, Credenda raised awareness of this social injustice and contributed $300 to this worthy cause.World Vision
World Vision, our first charity project, was launched at our October Assembly by World Vision's Marlene Loeppky. It was a stellar year with a friendly profitable inter-school competition raising $1000 dollars, enough to completely furnish two classrooms!
