UNews - elementary school

Rotaract event to support emerging education

trevor.kenney — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 20:53:07 +0000

Students desperate for a permanent place to receive an education in the new country of South Sudan will benefit from a popular ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge student-organized fundraising event.

The U of L's Rotaract Club will host Guir Ku Baai – Building Peace through Education, its 7th Annual Dinner and Silent Auction on Saturday, Feb. 4 in the Grand Ballroom at the Lethbridge Lodge.

Proceeds from the event will help current U of L Management student Anthony Makwach build a school in his home community of Abouk (pronounced Ab-wark), South Sudan, in the world's newest nation.

Anthony Makwach is looking to give children in his homeland of South Sudan the same educational opportunities he enjoyed in his youth.

Makwach was born during a prolonged civil war between what are now the countries of Sudan and South Sudan, and was raised in nearby Kenya. He has returned numerous times to his home community of Abouk since hostilities diminished in 2005.

Makwach says his long-term dream is the construction of a school to assist the children of the community.

"I went back to the South Sudan this past summer to celebrate the country's independence, and to visit my family," says Makwach. "I was so inspired, but at the same time heartbroken to see how the kids are struggling for their education. They have no school and are taking classes under a tree. I built a small shelter with my own funds, and came back to Canada with the idea for a project – to build a building big enough for at least 600 elementary school children."

Makwach knows first-hand the value of an education and the freedom it provides.

"I had an opportunity and privilege to go to a high school in Kenya. I got my diploma, and now am attending the U of L, where I am training to become an accountant," he says.

The direct connection between Anthony, his family in Abouk, and the dedication of the community to build the school formed the basis for the Rotaract group's support for this project.

"It is Anthony's dream to see a school built in his community, and we are working to make his dream a reality," says Eva Gorny, Rotaract's vice-president, External Affairs. "The Rotaract event typically raises between $10,000 and $15,000. We are hopeful that most, if not all, of the needed funds will be raised at this event."

Makwach's family members in Abouk and area are builders, and the cost of construction materials will be offset by volunteer labour from the community.

South Sudan, as the world's newest country, is also the poorest, with the majority of its eight million citizens living on less than $1 (CDN) per day. Life expectancy and literacy rates are low, infant mortality rates are high, basic medical care is scarce, education is difficult to obtain and the economy is unstable.

The landlocked nation was officially recognized as an independent country in 2011. Several international aid and development organizations are active in the country, but there remains a significant need for specific projects – such as the Rotaract Abouk School Project – that can help communities develop on their own.

Tickets for the Rotaract Dinner and Silent Auction are priced at $65 each ($40 for students), or $450 for a table of eight.

Silent auction items, gifts-in-kind and monetary donations are also appreciated. Contact rotaract@uleth.ca to purchase tickets or for additional information.

GET THE FACTS

· A brief video presentation from Makwach can be seen at vimeo.com/33668154

· The U of L Rotaract Club is a not-for-profit service club that is part of Rotary International. Its mandate is to fundraise, provide volunteers and, most importantly, raise awareness for both local and international needs

· Over the past six years, the Rotaract Club has raised more than $100,000 for projects in such varied locations as Burkina-Faso, Iqaluit and Malawi

· For more information, contact Eva Gorny, vice-president External Affairs at 403-360-3843 or e-mail rotaract@uleth.ca

This story first appeared in the January edition of the Legend. For a look at the Legend in a flipbook format, follow this link.

In the spirit of giving

trevor.kenney — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 20:18:46 +0000

David Renter's undergraduate experience at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge was anything but average – he attended class, studied and wrote tests, all alongside his grandmother, the late Evelyn Beattie.

"She was certainly a part of my U of L experience – she did most of my homework," jokes David.

David grew up in Lethbridge, completed a bachelor of music degree in 1998 and went on to receive his masters and doctorate degrees in music composition in the United States, but the memory of his grandmother as a student has never been far from his mind.

The Renter family, (l-r) David, Juergen, Jennifer, Diane and Brad (not pictured) are honouring Evelyn Beattie's legacy by establishing a scholarship in her name – something they believe she would have been happy to support.

Evelyn audited classes, attended student events and was a recognizable figure on campus, often at the centre of student groups, offering encouragement to her fellow classmates. She had a passion for music, and attending the U of L allowed her to fulfill a lifelong dream of studying music.

"She received a diploma from the Royal Conservatory, but in the 1930s it was much harder for a woman to pursue a career outside of the home," explains her daughter, Diane Renter.

Evelyn opted for a degree in education, but music continued to be an important part of her life. She taught private piano lessons for several years, and eventually taught elementary school, including early music education classes. Her family believes that given the opportunity, Evelyn would have taken a path similar to the one David pursued.

When Evelyn passed away, the Renter family, which includes Diane, Juergen and their three children, Brad, David and Jennifer, set to work developing a scholarship that would honour her memory and continue promoting music education, something she had obviously been passionate about.

"Music was so important to Evelyn," says Juergen Renter, her son-in-law. "It is something we continue to value as a family, and the Evelyn Beattie Memorial Music Scholarship really and truly reflects Evelyn's legacy."
For David, who is now a faculty member at the U of L, the award finishes something he started more than 10 years ago with his grandmother.

"My grandmother passed away in April of 2008, and I was hired in August of the same year," notes David. "Because I started my education here at the U of L with her and have now returned to teach, things have really come full circle."

Music was a passion for the late Evelyn Beattie.

"I was given the opportunity to continue my education and to explore my interests and I want other students to have those opportunities as well," says David. "I hope receiving this award allows someone to try something new or to follow a passion, and possibly foster some new understanding. It's something my grandmother herself would have been happy to support."

Check out the entire issue of SAM in a flipbook format by following this link.

Nursing students make community contribution

trevor.kenney — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 16:01:22 +0000

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Health Sciences (Nursing) students will head to class as usual Thursday, only this time they'll be the teachers.

Teaming with Safety City to deliver expanded programming, services and educational experiences to elementary school children, the U of L students will make a pair of presentations Thursday morning at the Safety City site. It's a partnership that benefits all parties.

"The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Faculty of Health Sciences and the nursing students have been instrumental in helping us keep our doors open," says Safety City Executive Director Linda Besseling.

"Safety City has been delivering children safety programs to the community for the past 13 years. Over the past couple of years, Safety City experienced a cut in funding from some key donors, which resulted in a significant operational shortfall. This impacted the ability of Safety City to continue to offer the programs that are so important to the children of our community and to their overall safety. Now, we are well on our way to becoming more sustainable – and the successful partnership between Safety City and the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge nursing program is a great example."

Safety City is a local not-for profit organization that provides pedestrian and bicycle safety training to children ages 6 to 12. The unique partnership they share with the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Faculty of Health Sciences and its 3rd and 4th year nursing students is in its second year. U of L students work with Safety City staff to deliver an expanded education program as part of their community health coursework.

Students say the collaboration fits perfectly with the health promotion and injury prevention component of their program – especially since accidents are among the leading cause of death and injury in children under age 14.

"We have been able to see a change in how the children cross the street in the short hour they are with us," says student Tabatha Vanderwekken. "This experience has been really rewarding just knowing we are helping to prevent injuries and save lives."

The students are also working on other projects, which include revising and improving programs, as well as researching how to deliver the programs to special-needs adults.

"We will present a final report to the Safety City board at the end of the semester," Vanderwekken says.

"These different opportunities have allowed us to learn many new skills that we can use for the rest of our nursing careers."

The Safety City Training Facility is located at the east end of North Parkside Drive, just outside the north gate of the Lethbridge Exhibition grounds.

Horns follow Bowles' lead

trevor.kenney — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 21:25:46 +0000

Far too many young men are forced to make a choice between hockey ambitions and pursuing an education. ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Pronghorns goaltender Scott Bowles never saw it that way – the two were always linked.

"With my parents both being teachers, education was always important," the second-year, Creston, B.C., native says. "Still, it was a decision that was left in my hands. I was only told that school would be important at one time or another and to factor that in."

Bowles entered the Western Hockey League as a 17 year old, opting not to pursue a possible education opportunity with an American college or university. The WHL is considered the fastest route to professional hockey and it allowed Bowles that opportunity. All the while, he knew that through the league's education program, every year he played in the WHL would turn into a year of Canadian post-secondary education if the pro dream didn't transpire when he was done.

"That's one of the biggest decisions you have to make when you're 16 or 17," says Bowles. "Are you going to go the NCAA route or give that up and try the WHL. With their package, it was good enough for me where I figured I could play four years and still have my schooling waiting for me when I was done."

Bowles played two-plus seasons with both the Calgary Hitmen and Prince George Cougars and when the pro game did not come knocking, he quickly turned his attention to finding the right fit in terms of a city and a school.

"He came in for a tour and spent a weekend with us," Pronghorns head coach Greg Gatto says of the recruitment pitch they made to Bowles. "I remember saying at the end of the weekend, he didn't say a word the whole time, and my comment was, 'I don't think we're going to get him', and a week later he phoned and told us he was coming."

Knowing Pronghorns Devin Featherstone and Kris Deines helped in the process but what swayed Bowles on coming to Lethbridge was the combination of the city and the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's programming options.

"I just really liked the set-up, I liked the fact the school offered the courses I wanted to take and I liked the size of the school. I wanted a smaller school where I felt I'd be more comfortable," he says. "Coming from Prince George, a city that's about the same size, I felt it'd be a very smooth transition."

It was, both on the ice and in the classroom. Bowles had a stellar first season, earning the team's most valuable player award, and has followed that up with another outstanding season; helping lead the Horns back into Canada West playoffs. Despite losing in the first round to UBC, Bowles played extremely well, making 50 saves in a 4-3 triple-overtime loss in Game 3 of the series.

Educationally, he started studying German but by taking advantage of the liberal education ideal at the U of L, quickly found his interests lay elsewhere.

"I found that environmental science might be a better path and it's going well," he says. "I really like my profs and the program offers a sort of mix and variety of a bunch of different sciences which, seeing as how I have a hard time narrowing down what I want to do, is still nice to take a range of courses."

Naturally, given his success and a recognition that goalies often hit their stride later in their careers, one has to wonder if pro hockey might finally come calling for Bowles. He doesn't spend a lot of time thinking about that possibility.

"Now that I've decided to go to university, school is definitely at the forefront," he says. "If things work out in pro hockey, then they do and we'll look into it but right now I'm committed to being here and finishing my degree."

GET THE FACTS

• Bowles had 13 wins in the regular season and was named Canada West Hockey – Husky WHL Graduate of the Month for November

• His best WHL season was in 2005-06 when he had 26 wins with Prince George

• Bowles' mother is an elementary school principal while his father, a teacher by trade, is a performance coach for Pacific Sport

• Bowles has a younger sister currently attending Okanagan College

UNews - elementary school

Rotaract event to support emerging education

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