St. Vital School's Cool to Care Drama event led small groups of spectators around the school to scenes and demonstrations pertaining to various social justice issues May 30.
This event raised almost $700. With St. Vital's SLC topping off proceeds to make an even $1,000, it was possible for St. Vital students to donate $500 each to the Food Bank's milk program and education needs in Ecuador through Free the Children.
St. Vital School has tickets secured for the first Alberta We Day Oct. 24 in Calgary. Other local schools are hoping to work together with St. Vital in order for a large contingent of youth to represent the Battlefords area in Calgary.
Additionally, St. Vital School was recently notified they have received another Big Dreamers Award this year from Free the Children. A total of $2,000 in matching funds from corporate sponsors was added to the $2,000 already donated over this school year from student efforts at St. Vital making it possible to designate a total of $4,500, with the inclusion of the drama proceeds, towards education needs in Ecuador.
Among the scenes at the Cool to Care Drama was one enacted by Roddy, Keghan, Hailey, Jonathan, and Annaka from Grade 6 along Grade 7 student Kage. They portrayed real life aboriginal activists in a special scene intended to raise awareness about social justice issues relevant to Canadian Aboriginal people.
Through the magic of creative latitude Joseph Brant, who travelled to England and spoke to King George III at land rights in 1775. The other characters were David Courchene Jr., who worked with a Wisdom Keepers group for the UN and created Turtle Lodge in Manitoba, Jean Cuthand, who was the first aboriginal nurse in Saskatchewan and Tom Longboat, who was a world class marathon runner in the early 1900s winning the Boston marathon and representing Canada in the London Olympics. They throw an honorary surprise party for two Saskatchewan teens, Rover Cote and Shayna Paul. The teens participated in the more than 850 kilometre 7000 Generations Walk last summer from Pinehouse to the Regina Parliament buildings protesting a proposed nuclear waste site north of Prince Albert.
Their characters discussed concerns over high prison rates, high child poverty rates and loss of culture, but also recognized the promising high rate of population growth, the aboriginal military service monument in Ottawa, and the efforts of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
In another scene, Ty Starycki, from Grade 7, used signs to silently tell the real life story of Michel Chikwanine. Keeley and Graham covered their mouths to encourage the group of spectators watching from the top of the stairwell to stay silent while reading the sobering story.
Michel Chikwanine, from the Republic of Congo in Africa, was captured at the age of five while playing soccer and then forced to kill his best friend in the course of being trained as a child soldier. He eventually escaped and was adopted by a Canadian family.
This silent unfolding of his story was a re-enactment of Michel's presentation that many St. Vital students viewed at the Winnipeg We Day last November.
Many spectators commented that this scene had a powerful impact causing them to stop and think seriously about real children in the world forced to become child soldiers.
