Watch above: In an effort to demonstrate the power of one, Saskatoon’s public and separate school boards use one man’s legacy to inspire. Aaron Streck meets some of the students who’ve embraced the concept and effected change.
SASKATOON – The “Power of One” can be underestimated. It wasn’t until Grade 8 that Morgan Cote discovered she had the power to help others. The now Grade 11 student at Saskatoon’s Tommy Douglas Collegiate has taken a stand against bullying.
“Everyone can make their own difference even if it’s a sincere compliment in the hallway to someone you never talk too before, it gives the victim or the target of bullying the chance to realize they’re not alone,” said Cote.
On Tuesday, Cote was joined by others telling stories of how one person can make a change.
“I do a lot of work with elementary schools and I make sure that elementary school students know what bullying is and how it affects someone,” said Cote.
“I went around the school and wrote 100 positive messages and put them on every locker for anti-bullying week last year.”
Saskatoon public and Catholic school divisions decided to create a program to challenge their students to make a difference.
Cote is inspired by Swedish diplomat Raoul Wallenberg’s actions which saved the lives of thousands of Hungary’s Jewish people during the Holocaust.
“This is a great event for all of our students to recognize that they have a responsibility in the world to ensure that they leave the world better then it was when they first came in,” said Diane Boyko, chair of the Greater Saskatoon Catholic Schools board.
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“Every person can make a difference whether it’s one student, one adult, one child can change the life of other students,” said Donna Banks, board trustee with Saskatoon Public Schools.
READ MORE: Raoul Wallenberg: A humanitarian hero we must never forget
Thus far, students have been up to the challenge.
“I’m really proud of the students within our division because they work on this every day,” said Boyko.
“We believe at Greater Saskatoon Catholic Schools that we are all responsible to transform the world for all the events that all of our students do in different capacities from supporting the people in Haiti when they had the earthquake to the Philippines when they had that tsunami.”
The annual program will continue to help show students in Saskatoon the power of one can go a long way in the community and in the world.
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