Confederation Secondary School makes a difference in El Salvador

The Confederation Secondary School team joins other workers and family members during their recent excursion to El Salvador.

Confederation Secondary School students Matthew St. Jean and Kendra Salminen are hard at work building a house in El Salvador.

Matthew St. Jean helps a child with a soccer ball during a visit to a local orphanage.

Matthew St. Jean and Sydney Boivin are hard at work.

Teachers Jennifer Stobo and Jana Armstrong with two orphaned girls in El Salvador.

Meet the Confederation Secondary School team that travelled to El Salvador:
Back Row:  Students Corrine McAnulty, Alison Laviolette, Deanna Hall, Sydney Boivin, Matthew St. Jean, Kendra Salminen and Craig Robinson
Front Row: Teachers Jana Armstrong, Jennifer Stobo and Gilbert Briscoe with Volunteer Phyllis Briscoe

Seven students from Confederation Secondary School recently travelled to El Salvador where they built homes as part of a Habitat for Humanity project. Grade 10 students Alison Laviolette, Sydney Boivin, Kendra Salminen, Craig Robinson and Matthew St. Jean and Grade 11 students Corrine McAnulty and Deanna Hall enjoyed an exceptional learning experience. Teachers Jennifer Stobo, Jana Armstrong and Gilbert Briscoe accompanied the students along with volunteer Phyllis Briscoe.

During their excursion, which took place from March 5th to March 18th, 2010, the team completed a house in Nahuizalco, El Salvador. From a curriculum perspective, the journey enhanced what’s taught in the classroom in a number of subject areas, from citizenship and history to geography and technological education. The students not only learned construction skills, they also learned team building and cooperation skills. They saw how others live and, in the process, gained a renewed sense of appreciation for what they have here at home.

“The work was physically demanding and the experience was emotionally changing,” said teacher Jennifer Stobo. “Observing the people in El Salvador live and care for each other taught students the importance of family. They also learned the value of hard work and helping others. This was a highly rewarding experience for everyone who participated.”

“Character development is an important component of what we teach in Rainbow Schools,” said Confederation Secondary School Principal Mike Mirka. “Character development is all about instilling strong values in young people and building responsible and respectful citizens who care about the world in which they live. It is certainly very gratifying to see our young people make a difference on a global level.”

This is the second Habitat for Humanity project for Confederation Secondary School. A team helped to build houses in Chile during March Break 2008.

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Media Contact:

Mike Mirka, Principal, Confederation Secondary School,
Rainbow District School Board, 705-897-4985.