Learning about poverty, isn’t on the curriculum for all grade 8 students in the Anglophone East School District, but at Hillcrest School, it turned out to be a beneficial lesson.
Deborah Donaher is an Education Support Teacher with the Anglophone East School District, “It started with a video and it talked about poverty in Canada and it zeroed in on Saint John. When they first heard Saint John, many of them gasped because they didn’t realise it was that close.”
From there, Teacher Erica Trail says the students visited Harvest House, “This was a big step for us to move out of the classroom and take the kids out into the community. We teach kids though because we want them to learn.”
Many of the students learned how privileged they really are, “They became much more socially aware of what goes on around our city, and they realised what they can do to help, ” Donaher says.
Some are now commenting that poverty related issues should be taught in schools.
One student was so touched by what she learned, her family gathered over one hundred toothbrushes, toothpaste and socks to donate to the shelter.