Inspiring A Generation of Youth to Change the World: An Educator Resource Guide

Year of We teacher resource guide

National Me to We Day wasn’t a typical field trip.  It was active global citizenship in its most powerful and practical sense. Students became empowered and made the connection between vision and the tangible actions they could take once they left the building.

Using the resource guide before the event, educators helped students familiarize themselves with the speakers and the United Nations Millennium Development Goals, which was followed by generative discussions that explored leadership issues facing youth.  

The educator resource guide doesn’t stop with National Me to We Day. To accompany the year long initiative, the Year of We, the educator resource guide also includes an event debriefing activity, a guide to the Seven Steps to Social Action, a collection of elementary and secondary lessons, activities and resources that will support student learning and action planning for the whole school year. Whether or not your school attended National Me to We Day, the educator resource guide is definitely a useful resource to bring global citizenship to the classroom.

Implementation Options

The guide is meant to be flexible.  In some cases, student action will begin with establishing a Youth in Action Group as an extra-curricular club.  In this case, the educator’s role evolves to a mentor or coach.  Educators can select activities related to students area of interest giving them background to start an awareness campaign. Other students may chose to participate in the Adopt a Village campaign. In this case, educators can use lessons and activities related to poverty which will help students understand the connection between access to education and breaking the cycles of poverty.  

Alternatively, lessons and activities can be implemented into regular classroom programs. Curriculum connections to the Ontario Ministry of Education grade 7 and 10 courses are included but adaptations can be made for use in other grades and regions.  For example, secondary school educators may find the lessons applicable to geography, business/economics, family studies, world issues and religion courses. Elementary educators may find appropriate connections with elementary social studies and language arts curricula.  Possibilities are endless.

With gratitude,

Catherine McCauley, M.Ed.
Director of Teacher Development

Download your guide
Watch the live webcast of National Me to We Day

Free The Children is the largest network of children helping children through education in the world, with more than one million youth involved in our innovative education and development programs in 45 countries. Founded by international child rights activist Craig Kielburger, Free The Children has an established track-record of success, with three nominations for the Nobel Peace Prize and partnerships with the United Nations and Oprah’s Angel Network.