Coin-spiracy 2003/04
UNI Coins in Action - Chetwynd

The following story has been written and submitted by Chetwynd Secondary School.

Coin-Spiracy Project 2004

The Grade 8 Leadership Students at Chetwynd Secondary School (CSS) developed their capacity for kindness and effecting positive change in the world by participating in the Coin-Spiracy Acts of Kindness project. The Leadership class was run this year to include all the grade 8's, the youngest grade in our school, in order for the vice-principal to get to know each of these new students and to get them involved in and contributing to our school culture early in their high school careers. There were also a few Leadership students in grades 9 through twelve in the class; their role was to work with the younger students to help lead classroom activities and help the younger students organize initiatives. When Canfor generously offered to sponsor our school in the Coin-Spiracy campaign they provided an excellent project for this enthusiastic group of students.

The campaign was kicked off in the fall with a viewing of the Coin-Spiracy video and talking about plans for the year. All the Leadership students watched the video Pay It Forward together and discussed how it was possible for kindness to spread and grow and make real differences in the lives of people, differences that often go beyond what we see.

To fulfill the act of kindness for self, students were charged with designing personal projects that would enhance the quality of their own lives. The results were varied including one student working to strengthen her relationship with her mother, others developing exercise plans, and several setting goals for personal improvement in sports or school. The class also put together a Fun Day on the last afternoon before spring break and invited the whole school. They set up events such as wacky hair do's, fly on the wall (a contest to see which students can do the best job of duct taping a teammate to the wall so that he or she stays suspended there the longest), frozen chewing gum bubble contests, Fear-Factor-like events, movies, video games, sack races in the hallways, and other creative ways to let students have fun while building a positive school culture and relationships with each other and staff. The students were pleased with the success of their Fun Day.

The class's kind act for the environment was an Earth Day Celebration where more than 80 students hiked from the school to the top of nearby Mt. Baldy. The students surveyed the damage from a grass fire that happened the previous day on one face of the hill. They picked up any litter they found along the trail. This was a litterless event with students bringing drinks and snacks in reusable and recyclable containers and enjoying ice-cream cones (you can eat the container!) back at the school upon their return. When teachers decided not to get involved in organizing the school's involvement in the community's Pitch-In Day, the students in the leadership class decided to take on that challenge too and will be coordinating the litter clean up efforts of the whole student body on May 26.

Where the students really grew as leaders and accomplished great things was in their kind acts for others. This began with the community Christmas Hamper Food drive. Each year community volunteers create hampers of food for the holidays for families in need. The grade 8 students saw this as an opportunity to help others and were very generous with their donations. A friendly challenge between classes led to setting a goal of 1000 food items - more than 2 items per student in the school. The result was incredible! The students at CSS brought in more than 5,000 food items. Several students shopped with their own money, selecting food that they themselves liked and thought would be enjoyed by others, and other students went door to door in their neighbourhoods. One grade eight student said their class goal was not just to feed families over Christmas but well into the new year with the food bank. The woodworking classes made wooden toys and the CSS staff donated gifts geared toward teenagers to be included in the hampers. The whole school came together in the spirit of kindness to see that others in the community were not forgotten over the holidays.

The leadership class tackled the issue of hunger on another level as well. They decided to bring back an event that had not run in the school for a few years, the 30 Hour Famine, to raise awareness of and money for the cause of world hunger. This was an entirely student-organized event. Twenty-six students brought in more than $1700 in pledges. It was a great commitment to kindness to others by the students who stayed at the school over the weekend participating in games and activities they planned and going 30 hours without eating.

The students in the leadership class were motivated to act when they heard about Misty Franklin, a former student, now a young mother living in another community, who was left paralyzed by a stabbing. Their hearts went out to this young woman and they decided that they could help her by raising money to help make her family's home wheelchair accessible. They started a penny drive that has already brought in more than $200. One grade 12 Leadership student was particularly motivated to help and approached the Rick Hanson Foundation about hosting the Wheels in Motion Event this year. She made arrangements with the foundation for half the money raised to be available for Misty Franklin for making her home wheelchair accessible. This project is a huge undertaking for the student organizer and her helpers. Our community has always been a great supporter of another major fundraising event that is held the same weekend and we have not had Wheels in Motion in Chetwynd for a few years. Although it is a challenge, this student committee is working hard to make this event a success because they are so committed to the cause. They have built interest within the school and we look forward to having many students and other participants join us on June 13 to walk or wheel toward their goal of helping Misty Franklin and others with spinal cord injuries.

The Leadership class plans to pass on the coin to the staff of the community radio station to accept on behalf of Misty Franklin. They are convinced that this energetic and caring group will carry on the good works started by the students at Chetwynd Secondary School and the legacy of the Coin-spiracy Project will continue to grow in our school and larger community.

Top