Creating change in her school—and around the world

The WE club at J.H. Putnam continues to expand their vision

Goats transform lives in developing communities. They thrive in difficult conditions to produce milk and jumpstart small businesses.

When Sam Sharp returned to class after summer vacation, she brought big plans with her for the year ahead.

The Grade 8 student has been a member of the WE club at Ottawa’s J.H. Putman school for two years. In that time, she’s collected non-perishable goods for the schoolwide food drive, helped run the annual craft fair and sold Rafiki bracelets to raise money.

Still, the budding changemaker wanted to do more.

“I knew that to lead the club, we had to have a clear vision of what we wanted to do and how to get there,” she explains matter-offactly. So she spent her summer meeting with friends, drawing up projects and revamping the decade-old club to have an even greater impact.

The 40-member WE club now has subcommittees, each dedicated to a project and spearheaded by a Grade 8 student. One is responsible for bake sales, another for decorating the school, a third for organizing luncheon fundraisers and selling Rafikis.

It’s a big change, explains teacher and WE club leader Jennifer Wilson. “Because they have more of a voice, a lot of the kids are coming up with the ideas, they’re pushing for different things,” she says. “The climate in the room is amazing. Everyone feels valued.”

For proof, look no further than the club’s WE Create Change campaign.

Not content with a calendar full of events, the group decided to participate in the nationwide WE Schools campaign as a club fundraiser. Joining thousands of other students across the country in a campaign that has raised over $2.6 million for development projects around the world, they decided to raise money for a goat to support WE’s economic-opportunity projects in Tanzania.

Goats transform lives in developing communities. They thrive in difficult conditions to produce milk and jumpstart small businesses. Sam leads the charge, explaining their importance to classmates; they’re essentially bank accounts, she says, “with so many different benefits for the families.”

At their twice-weekly meetings—where students come up with ways to raise awareness throughout the school, write morning announcements, plan their social media campaigns and organize events—Sam encourages her club-mates to bring in change for the fundraiser.

“If everyone brings in some coins, whatever they can, even five cents can help over time, eventually we’ll have enough for a goat,” she says cheerfully. “It’s something extra we can do to help a family in need. We may even buy a whole herd.”