Advocating Change One Day at a Time with an Innovative Vancouver School Program

Vancouver, Canada, June 27, 2014 --(PR.com)-- 365 Give, a newly created not-for-profit organization has partnered with Vancouver teachers to teach children the importance of and how to execute social responsibility through daily giving. 365give started as a one year blogging project that one mother wrote to teach her 3 year old the importance of participating and being aware of community through giving. Jacqueline Way, a mother and business woman living in Vancouver Canada with her 3 year old son, conducted a daily giving exercise for 365 days that benefited people, animals, and the environment. After the success of the one year commitment, both mother and son had a dream to partner with schools across the globe and share their lessons with other children. In 2014 this dream became a realty.

"The 365Give Challenge partnership with public schools is my way of communicating the importance and affect of social responsibility and community awareness to the next generation. Children respond immediately when they experience the affect one 'give' has on others, their community, the environment, or their friends. The active and conscious choice of giving on a daily basis has deepened my relationship to communities and added another human dimension into the life of my family. Our hope is that this will spread through our new program to young children and their families. With the first pilot project completed in Vancouver schools, I now see children understanding the concept of and being excited about social responsibility,’ stated Jacqueline Way, and her partner Sarah Doeher, the idea gals behind the project.

Teachers use the website and concept to develop course curriculums in their classrooms. Teachers work with their students to define the giving process, plan the giving process and determine which gives the class will execute. The simplicity behind the gives is what is making this program so successful. Daily gives range from smiling at strangers, making financial donations through community fundraising or volunteering for an hour at a local animal shelter. The give of the day is a means to recognize that lending a hand in a variety of ways creates a society and environment the children are proud of. The gives also make children aware that they have the power to affect their communities and their families.

Giving and social responsibility has been overlooked in many learning environments due to the need to survive in a fast and ever changing world. Families and communities are focusing on survival; debt management, employment management, technology and time management. Teachers are looking at establishing a way to refocus learning on human management, community management and the need to actively participate in the health of our communities.

After the first pilot project in 2014, the 365give Challenge will have been completed in 13 Vancouver classrooms by 13 educators and 275 students. At the close of the 2014 K-8 school year, educators are getting ready to introduce the program in more classrooms and more schools as they witnessed the impact and success of the first pilot program.

Visit www.365give.ca or follow on twitter @365give to discover lesson planning ideas, results of the 365give Challenge including teacher and parent testimonials. 36give just released their first public call for donations on Idiegogo, a popular online crowdsourcing site.

365give Challenge is a new educational program that empowers children to change the world one day at a time, one give at a time. Jacqueline Way and Sarah Doeher have facilitated the implementation of the program into Vancouver schools with the vision to make this a national program over the next few year in partnership with educators and school boards.