Engage Youth in Global Issues

The Cause

We would like to make engaging animated short videos that engage students in global issues such as water as a human right and food security. Change for Children (CFC) is a registered charitable organization based in Edmonton, Alberta that has supported community-based organizations and sustainable development projects in Latin America and Africa for almost forty years. CFC’s purpose also includes educating Canadians about the developing world to bring about an awareness of our global interdependence.

For the past 39 years, CFC has operated an impactful and engaging global education program in Alberta by using our extensive network of teachers and schools to implement global education activities throughout the province.

The ability to expand our collection of quality curriculum materials that challenge the status quo and deepen the understanding of students and teachers regarding specific global development issues (i.e. water scarcity and food security) and our role as Canadians in the challenges that affect people in the developing world would allow us to build upon our connections with schools and teachers and to increase the reach of our learning activities.

We understand that the use of mixed media in classrooms is an effective way to engage students and distill complex concepts into memorable, understandable content. In addition to the creation of online and printed content, the creation of short animated videos to effectively convey messages with respect to global issues (water scarcity and food security) and global citizenship are key to reaching today’s screen savvy student audiences. Animated shorts of this type convey a lot of information in a short amount of time, making them ideal as an education tool in classrooms.

Who Will it Benefit?

Change for Children currently has the capacity to facilitate one World Water Day activity and one World Food Day activity annually, local to Edmonton. This past year, our World Food Day activity reached about 100 students, and our World Water Day activity reached about 200 students. Providing the necessary resources to teachers to undertake these activities would support and encourage schools/teachers to take ownership of this activity, thereby expanding the reach of the program.

The primary beneficiaries of this project are the young Albertans who will develop a deeper understanding of challenges facing developing nations in regards to water justice and food sovereignty. We currently work with Elementary, Jr. high, and High Schools, and the development of separate resources will enable us to tailor the learning outcomes most relevant to varying age groups.

This year, Scona High School was nationally recognized for breaking fundraising records with their annual initiative, and they are generously supporting a CFC project in the Ecuadorian rainforest. New resources, including engaging animated short videos, will facilitate the engagement of CFC with teachers and students interested in the global development landscape, and will enhance their connection to a local organization (CFC) that offers opportunities, beyond fundraising, to become involved in global education.

Outside of World Water Day and World Food Day, Grade three curriculums include the study of Rights of the Child, Quality of Life, and Global Citizenship. Enhanced educational materials could facilitate these learning outcomes specifically in third grade classrooms.

This project aims to ignite passion in young people by having the opportunity to learn, discuss and participate in activities and initiatives promoting global citizenship. Our local community will benefit by educating the next generation of leaders in the Edmonton Community.