2011-2012 Model UN Initiative
Prove your Potential: Pennies for a Purpose
Every year, as a conclusion to the class and the programme, the Model UN group engages in a project of some kind to take their learning outside of the classroom to potentially make an impact on somebody, somewhere, somehow.
In the federal government’s budget, delivered in March, it was announced that the 1 cent or penny coin will no longer be produced by the Canadian Mint and will be phased out of public circulation over time. It costs 1.6 cents to produce each penny, to the tune of $11 million a year, for a coin that no one really uses. However, we can put it to good use before it disappears. And we can use it in a way that can involve the whole school. The proposal is to offer “penny recycling” in the junior and senior schools over a 2 week period (April 16-27) as a way of raising funds for this project. And if a few nickels, dimes, quarters, loonies or twoonies happen to fall into the recycling bins that will be placed around the school then so be it.
It is hoped that enough pennies / coins will be collected so that we can then use that to purchase food items to assemble into lunch bags (sandwich, apple and juice box) to distribute in the Downtown East Side on Wednesday May 2nd.
In the end, it is hoped that, in a world where issues and problems can seem overwhelming and complex, students will use this opportunity to experience and to realize the power of that individual action has in making a difference in the world.
Mr. Abt
Please bring in your pennies!