Students collecting money for African school

A group of Yorkdale Central School Grade 8 students will be trick-or-treating this Halloween for a cause.

Under teacher Kendra Brown, the 28 elementary students have formed a group titled "Fight Apathy" with the goal of taking action to improve local and global living conditions. For their first activity this year, the group will go door-to-door on Halloween requesting money to fund construction of a school in Sierra Leone through the Free the Children charity.

In addition to its charitable cause, the group has a message in mind.

"When adults see teenagers walking down the street you think they're going to do something bad," says class member Nicole Hedley. "I want to get that idea out of adults' minds, because I think teenagers have a lot of potential, and if they really try they can accomplish stuff. I think this is really great, because we're fighting apathy. We're fighting the idea that teenagers are apathetic."

Last year, the class organized a pledge walk, earning money to build food and water infrastructure in Africa. This year, the Sierra Leone school represents a yearlong project that will occupy the students' time through multiple events until June.

As Free the Children is matching the group's funds, the class needs to raise only $2,500 to build the school. If possible, however, they hope to raise the entire $5,000 themselves.

"I have a fantastic class this year who is really socially conscious," says Kendra Brown. "They really are engaged in these types of activities. They really do feel a responsibility to their community, whether that's the school or the city or the global community."

The class's activities have already had an effect on the students' awareness of their world, says class member McKenzie Stachura

"It really opens our minds up, because in Canada we have a lot of benefits compared to people in third world countries."