On March 7, members of Elm Creek School’s United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) committee attended a provincial network meeting at the Canadian Museum of Human Rights in Winnipeg. The purpose of these meetings is to further educate youth working towards UNESCO goals within their schools.
At this particular meeting, participants began by drawing a tree and labeling its components—roots, trunk, leaves, etc. Each part represented various ideals and values that individuals hold, all leading to their “North Star,” or ultimate goal. The concept of the North Star was a recurring theme throughout the meeting.
Following this activity, the students listened to Sergio Rodriguez, a representative from CCUNESCO dedicated to educating youth across the country. The attendees were then divided into workshops, with Elm Creek School participating in a session led by a representative from Green Action Centre. The workshop focused on sustainable transportation, discussing different methods for commuting to school or work, particularly in larger cities.
“It’s hard to relate that for a group like our school because we live in such a rural area, but there are ways to do our part,” said Elm Creek School student Scarlett Friesen. “We can take the time to carpool, walk or bike places when we can, even if that’s not always an option. The workshop had a bike with a blender attached to it. We took turns riding it, blending up a smoothie that we all got to sample.”
After the workshops, each student received a square of canvas to paint. Some canvases had pre-drawn lines, while others were blank. Each piece was numbered on the back, and students painted designs related to their North Star, which could represent a Sustainable Development Goal they are passionate about or a personal goal they are working towards.
“Once we all finished, all of the canvas pieces fit together to create a picture out of the preexisting lines and represent all the things that our UNESCO members stand for.”
In the afternoon, Elm Creek students learned about various upcoming projects they could participate in, as well as time to plan their own action initiatives. Recently, the UNESCO group attended a conference called Generating Momentum, which focused on fast fashion. As a result, the group developed an initiative called Fight Fast Fashion Week.
At the end of April, Elm Creek’s UNESCO committee plans to hold daily activities to promote and educate their peers about fast fashion and sustainable clothing choices.
“One of these events is going to be a clothing swap, where students can come second-hand clothing shopping for free at the school,” said Friesen. “We are currently accepting donations for this event, so please contact Ms. Ashley Cook at our school if you have clothing that you would like to donate.”
Elm Creek’s students attend these UNESCO meetings every few months, and they are eagerly looking forward to the final meeting on May 22, which will feature an art show called the Being the Upstander Artivism Exhibit. This exhibit will allow students to express their values and beliefs through art.
“Our UNESCO crew looks forward to putting our action project together and working with UNESCO moving forward.”
