École Laronde students raise $4,000 for charities and learn life skills through Compassion Project

École Laronde Elementary Grade 6 students held a craft and bake sale, collected bottles and cans, and gathered donations door-to-door as part of their annual Compassion Project, raising nearly $4,000 for seven charitable organizations.

For the second year in a row, Grade 6 students at École Laronde Elementary have raised nearly $4,000 for a variety of charities as part of a “Compassion Project,” instilling confidence and important skills outside the classroom that will take them far in life.

While teacher Christine Carriou has led projects like this in past years, this is the second year of the Compassion Project, designed to inspire students to contribute locally while learning about citizenship globally. The project involves students collaborating in groups to achieve the common goal of fundraising for charities of their choice.

“It’s about developing communication skills, having a voice, building on their confidence and feeling special that they’re doing something important,” said Carriou. “It teaches them how to develop skills, to talk to adults in the community, to sound more mature and really put themselves out there.”

This year, students brainstormed ways to raise money for seven charitable groups, including the Make-a-Wish Foundation, BC SPCA, Peace Arch Hospital Foundation, BC Children’s Hospital, BC Cancer Foundation, Surrey Animal Resource Centre and BC Feed the Kids. Students held a craft and bake sale, recycled bottles and cans, and gathered donations door-to-door for the non-profit organizations.

“The big difference this year is they’ve been more eager to use the school phone to contact the charitable organizations,” said Carriou. “At the beginning, they were all scared and didn’t know what to say when talking to an adult, but now they’re not afraid to call these groups.

“It’s exciting for them and for me, they’re learning valuable skills that they may not have had before, around listening, exchanging ideas and delegating, and they’ll use them for years to come.”

A big kudos to Christine Carriou’s Grade 6 class! Thank you for your amazing work with the Compassion Project!