Late last year, New Brunswick Teachers Association Branch 1430 members from six schools organized to participate in activities to benefit local charities.
Beginning in October, staff from six Florenceville-area schools—Bath Community School, Bristol Elementary, Carleton North High School, Florenceville Middle, Florenceville Elementary, and Centreville Community School—collaborated on a series of Collective Impact Challenges, the first of which was collecting cereal for We’ve Got Your Back River Valley.
We’ve Got Your Back River Valley is a local non-profit organization that provides food for area students experiencing food insecurity. Branch 1430 members collected 153 boxes of cereal for the organization during this first challenge and voted to continue to support the organization.
A second challenge, in January, saw staff at participating schools using fun, creative ways to solicit donations. Staff raised almost $1000 through a combination of 50-50 draws, as well as students and staff donating to participate in dress-down/theme days or to have administrators teach classes.
And in a third challenge this month, staff collected 130 jars of peanut butter for needy students.
“Our goal has been to bring our teachers together to make a positive impact within our local community,” said Bristol Elementary School Acting Principal Katie Saunders. Saunders is also the director of NBTA Branch 1430. Through the Collective Impact Challenges, “we can be assured the collective actions of a few are benefiting many.”