The second annual CCI For Change at Cobourg Collegiate Institute proved to be more inspiring and livelier than the first.
Modelled and inspired by WE Day, the full-day celebration at CCI brought in multi-media effects and a spectacular line-up of entertainment and speakers Thursday for a day-long extravaganza divided into two shows.
The morning show for the student body and the afternoon show for students in Grades 6 to 8 from feeder schools in the community featured Motivational Speaker Ashley Rose Murphy, WE Day Singers from Marlowe and the Mix, student changemakers and many other special guests discussing global and local issues, such as: food security, equity, access to education, acknowledging First Nations and recognizing our Syrian community members. Students were encouraged to find their passion and spark change.
Student organizers Graham Beer, Chloe Leguard, Milla Ewart, and Ben Parr hosted the event. While welcoming the students to the event, they chanted: “CCI are you ready to spark change?” and much of the program was designed to celebrate this idea.
Sadie Stradford, Andrew Atanasoff, and Kylie Denis who went to Tanzania last year discussed their work with the schools and children of a small community, as well as the fundraising and support that made it possible. Among the items they took with them were several computers and almost 1,000 lb. of school supplies.
Three Syrian students: Moumen, Hamza, and Yara whose family had been refugees from Syria explained why they had left their homeland, “it was because of the war, not because it was a bad country.”
Hamza’s family had a further motivation. Had they stayed, he would have been forced into the military.
“We chose to leave Syria and not be killers. We are here now, we are back to school. We are so grateful,” he said.
Jacob Stone described how the Culture Cub helps students celebrate and learn about the diversity around them at school, in the community and in the wider world. They enjoy weekly lunch meetings, as well as periodic outings and trips. “Smiles translate positively in every language, so give them out freely,” he said.
The school’s Rotary Interact Club Co-Presidents Diana May and Grace West shared their focus on battling hunger. Their Halloween for Hunger initiative, for example, brought in more than 5,400 lb. of food for Northumberland Food 4 All.
Emma Zoldy, Abby Parr and Courtney Drew, members of the Environmental Club discussed their fight against waste with colourful statistics that illustrate the challenge. Every year in Ontario, they said, each person produces a ton of waste (75% of which ends up in landfills). They also shared that one dripping water tap over a year wastes enough water to fill seven bathtubs. An environmental audit at the school last year showed that students are putting more recycling into the trash bin than into the recycling receptacle.
Aidan Woodward and Megan Storey from CCI Food Collective discussed their initiatives focusing on healthy food that is environmentally sustainable, this included a recent trip to Nicaragua for research into that country’s culture.
Heaven Beck from the school’s Gender and Sexuality Alliance said they strive to make their meetings a safe place for all LGBT+ students and allies, as well as to offer a judgment-free space at lunchtimes. Their activities included two awareness days last year.
Teacher Dean Smith spoke on the Indigenous-studies program and said that more than 100 people are involved in the project to re-indigenize the school’s courtyard with a pollinator habitat and Anishinaabe artwork. Smith emphasized to all students that “real change is supposed to be inconvenient.”
Entertainment included music, song, and dance with an interactive segment led by Loren Macklin, head of the dance program. A special edition this year included 6 young and professional performers with the group “Marlowe and the Mix”. The singers sang the finale to the show called “We Change the World” which is the official 2017 Me to We Anthem. The group had only sung it once before and that was at We Day Toronto in September.
Finally, there was a video greeting from Winston Sih of CITY TV’s Breakfast Television: “Surround yourself with good people, think creatively and work hard,” Sih said.
Eighteen-year-old Me to We Ambassador and Keynote speaker Ashley Rose Murphy ended the show with her inspiring words. The 19-year-old speaker was born HIV-positive, and was expected not to live long enough to learn how to crawl. Now she is a student at York University, who speaks to audiences across Canada and has even traveled to Nigeria to meet with other young people who were born HIV-positive. But she faced many of the same challenges any young person faces.
“You feel like you’re the outsider. You have to accept yourself, but be the best version of yourself every day,” Murphy said.
“It came down to three things for me: find yourself, find your community, find your voice. Embrace your inner odd-man-out. One of the most valuable lessons we learned is, you don’t stand by when someone needs help. We give back through volunteer work, and it’s always fun when we get to volunteer together.”
Murphy found another community when she had the chance to travel to Nigeria. Millions of children in Africa have been born HIV-positive and are otherwise affected by the AIDS epidemic (being orphaned, for example). Progress is being made, she said, but much work remains.
And the stigma remains, creating hardship and shame not just with AIDS, but for those experiencing other tragedies such as domestic violence and mental-health issues.
“Look to the things that make you, and realize that everyone else is figuring it out too,” Murphy urged.
Ashley Rose Murphy inspired all students that small actions can have large impacts.
“Some schools must dream about CCI’s reality and I think this event is just a glimpse of what great things we do every single day. We inspired our future leaders, and that in itself is very powerful” said Jeff Kawzenuk, Principal at CCI.
By: Graham Beer- [email protected] www.cobourgmedia.ca/2017/11/cci-for-change-inspires-youth-to-make-a-difference/
