Champions for Education

                                                  Build a Dream began as one.                                                                                 

More than 10 years ago Nour Hachem-Fawas imagined an organization that would help expose young women to potential careers in the skilled trades and provide them with motivation and information to make their ambitions a reality.

Some people believe that dreams are fanciful mental fabrications. The pre-frontal cortex does shut down when we sleep…that’s the part of the brain that makes sense of the things we encounter while awake.

But many neuroscientists and researchers think dreams are functions that build memory and help process things that we encounter each day.

If you apply that reasoning…dreams don’t come true…they are a reflection of things that are already in development, mentally, if not tangibly.

Now, generally, dreams that include hammers and saws are not pleasant. The unconscious can be a strange place! But the kind of well-tooled dreams we’re discussing at the moment have sunshine and rainbows.

Build a Dream has evolved from an idea into a source of inspiration and action not just in Windsor-Essex County but throughout Ontario.

The initial manifestation of the Build a Dream dream was a career discovery expo in Windsor and succeeding years saw bigger, more comprehensive events with more community industry  partners. There are now thousands of young women who have traversed a possible career pathway that was, for all purposes, unavailable to them.

Some of them now attend career fairs as presenters discussing their own experiences on the job.

Build a Dream is a vehicle for consolidating the aspirations of young women into actions and possibilities. It also aids educators with new career resources and professional development.

Less stress in someone’s life leads to better dreams. Build a Dream helps a lot of young women and industry partners - who require new skilled trades talent – sleep better at night.

Sweet dreams from a Champion for Education.

FedEx delivers!

It’s one of the largest companies in North America. One of Canada’s best places to work and most reputable companies in this country. More than 13,000 employees, or team members, as they’re known (in-house), offering award-winning customer service.

An outstanding corporate resume. But for our purposes, we’re concerned with the FedEx ground personnel at Roscon Industrial Drive in Oldcastle.

They deliver for students of the Greater Essex County District School Board and their families. But even if we had doorbell cameras -which we don’t- you wouldn’t see what it is that they bring to our doorstep. It’s a wholly unpretentious and yet, remarkable partnership.

For some time now, the FedEx folks have been anonymous benefactors for families at three different public schools during holidays and times of need. They have been like another mythical courier, except without the red suit or the reindeer.

During COVID, when schools were closed and public interactions were potentially deadly, FedEx came through for students and families throughout the board.

Learning was being done at home. Teaching was primarily on-line. But for families who did not have the technological capacity or preferred an alternate method, paper packages were created and there were hundreds who signed up from Windsor to Leamington.

Those packages needed to be picked up and returned to the school for grading. It was the FedEx ground team we relied on to carry out the assignments.

Jim’s employees did this on their own time, with their own vehicles and what would have been a difficult logistic ordeal for us went smoothly and we kept the students engaged during the greatest crisis ever facing public education.

 So we ask that they accept this delivery from us. And because they are Champions for Education, we won’t even ask them to sign for it.

Flour, water, sugar, a pinch of salt…maybe a dash of spice…add a healthy social conscience and you’ve got some of the finest, best tasting, organic breads, cakes and confectionaries anywhere in Windsor and Essex County.

They’re baked at Kava Café & Bakery in LaSalle by Le Cordon Bleu Chef Emily Bas. What she doesn’t augment her recipes with is any type of preservative, which limits the shelf life of her products.

Since the café and bakery is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, that creates a problem for Emily, whose environmental ethos disdains unnecessarily throwing things out.

That dilemma is a windfall for the students at James L. Dunn and West Gate public schools. Every Sunday, Emily and her staff pack up all the leftovers and deliver them, the next day, to the schools.

Students enjoy French baguettes, Japanese milk bread, Italian focaccia, loaves of Challah and Babka, panini buns, old world sour dough, buttery croissants and homemade bagels.

It’s been happening for 2 years at James L. Dunn, more recently at West Gate. Even if the kids might not know what they’re eating, it tastes good and they appreciate the variety it provides to their breakfast programs and occasional lunchtime sandwiches.

It’s a lesson in gastronomy, but the fledgling gourmands are also learning about kindness and generosity.

They may also not realize that the founder of their feasts, Emily and husband, Aaron Andary take great pride in their eco-conscious business that’s committed to supporting other area businesses by purchasing their ingredients locally.

We cannot live on bread alone. Good works also sustain us and we (knead) people like Emily and Aaron. They are, to rephrase their company motto, “truly honest good hands who care”. They are Champions for Education.

It’s a sad, but familiar tale that due to cost and availability, fresh fruits and vegetables are a luxury in some households.

And numerous young people in our district might be unfamiliar with some of these delicious and nutritious comestibles if not for the good folks at Mucci Farms.

They are growers and purveyors of produce. (some say “pro’-duce”, others say “praw-duce”). We also won’t get involved in the perennial argument about what is a vegetable and what is a fruit, but, vegetables are, basically plant parts that are not fruits, seeds or flowers.

Regardless, Mucci Farms pulls up to some of our county schools in Kingsville, Leamington and Essex each week with boxes of fresh produce – tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers, which, using certain definitions, could all be fruits, since they all develop from the flower of a plant.

Some people argue that the real difference between a fruit and a vegetable is taste, with fruits being on the sweeter side of the spectrum. Rhubarb is technically a vegetable.

Hundreds of students now have a real appetite for food that is not only good for them but tasty. They are also more prepared and able to learn.

Mucci farms is a supplier of great, gateway veggies (or fruits). After sampling, and enjoying the pleasure of a juicy tomato, crisp cucumber or crunchy pepper, they might be more willing, eventually, to try peas, beans carrots, spinach or even turnip.

And the regular deliveries help fuel the education and activities of young people throughout Essex County. About that, there is no debate! You can say “tom-a’-toe” or “tom-ah-toe”, which is a dispute we can settle another day. We’ll say with absolute certainty that Mucci Farms is a Champion for Education.

Price check in aisle 4.

The shelves at the Giant Tiger store on Huron Church Road are stocked with high quality, Canadian-made experience.

Taryn Riley-Webb is the store owner and manager and she possesses many of the qualities and characteristics of the chain’s brand.

For one, she’s a distinct individual. Like human fingerprints, no two tigers have exactly the same stripes. Though, we are hopeful that she is not an endangered species. We could use more people like her.

Taryn has become a distinguished contributor to Westview Freedom Academy. She’s assists with the school’s Terry Fox run for cancer research and their Giving Tree holiday drive.

But it’s what she has done at her store which is the most remarkable. Taryn welcomed 15 students from the school’s MAPS program to work in her store for 4 months during the first semester.

M.A.P.S. is an acronym for My Achievement Pathway to Success. Students in the M.A.P.S. program have been identified with an intellectual or developmental disability. A critical element of success is participation in cooperative education opportunities.

Taryn has put those on special and the experience has been life changing as detailed in one of many testimonials from parents, “Since being at the store, with encouragement from her supervisors, she has become a different child…she’s happy…she’s confident. She’s ok with it being hard because they’ve given her the tools to succeed.”

Tiger cubs stay with their mother for up to 2 years before they go out on their own. The mothers nurture and train their young…they don’t head out on their own until they’re ready to look after themselves.

Our students earn their stripes in an welcoming and inclusive environment at Giant Tiger in the care of Taryn Riley-Webb, a Champion for Education.

The United Way is not a member of our immediate family, but they are, very much, like an aunt or an uncle. We see them every now and then but they’re always around to support our kids.

Parents’ siblings are valuable sources of knowledge and wisdom (my uncle taught me how to drive the ride-on mower blindfolded). They are, the cool adults in our lives. They can be a friend, rather than a disciplinarian, because they’ve got no legal obligation.

And, unlike grandparents, aunts and uncles are younger and have more stamina!

However, as United Way celebrated its 75^th anniversary in 2022, it may be more appropriate to refer to them as a Great Aunt or Uncle, but our affection for them remains the same.

That because, under their umbrella of Cradle to Career, United Way invests in and supports communities based on supporting data. They help out in ways that we are sometimes unable to with programs such as Summer Eats for Kids, Backpacks for Success and On Track to Success.

Since it was started in 2015, On Track to Success has helped dozens of our students get through high school and into a post-secondary field of study or profession.

It “wraps support around a young person and their family to help them graduate high school.” Students enrolled in On Track are eligible for up to $4000 for their post-secondary education or training. To reach that point, they receive tutoring, individualized support, recreational activities as well as social and career mentoring.

In just 9 years there have been a lot of riders on this express train to achievement.

Your many nieces and nephews: Aaliyah, Brayden, MacKenzie, Mikaila, Fadumo, Gracie, Rihab, Sindy and Skyler….Thomas, Venessa, Zachary and all the others are surely very thankful and congratulate you on being named a Champion for Education.

“It doesn’t cost me anything to be kind.” Words of wisdom from that renowned philosopher, Paddington Bear.

That has always been the doctrine of Vicky Young, who for more than 20 years has been a volunteer at Princess Elizabeth Public School.

And like the introspective little bear Vicky has always had a fondness for books. Each day she would work in the school library. She’d tape broken spines or ripped covers, sort the returns and replace books on the shelves for the students to easily locate and enjoy them. Vicky also patiently worked with her student helpers to teach them the skills they’d need, should she not be there one day.

Besides that, she trained students as lunch monitors, worked with the safety patrols, chaperoned on school field trips and generally helped around the school wherever she was needed. Some people believed she was an employee, when in fact it was all totally voluntary.

While Vicki is admired for those practical contributions, she will always be remembered because she was always so nice to everyone. She knew everyone’s names, said hello to them in the hallways and shared laughs and treats (fortunately not marmalade sandwiches).

Vicki knew who needed some special attention and she would do whatever she could to make their day better. For some, nutrition and lunch breaks were the best part of it, because they’d get a visit from Vicki. She had the ability to make kids feel important and safe.

In the books  by Michael Bond, Paddington Bear brought people closer together and had a wonderful sense of community.

In addition to this award, we need a little card on a string for Vicky that reads, “please look after this bear” because she is a Champion for Education.

There are few individuals or organizations that have a broader impact on students in the Greater Essex County District School Board than the Ontario Student Nutrition Program.

The numbers don’t require a Great Big Crunch…they are impressive without analysis! In southwestern Ontario the OSNP has served more than 27 thousand students at 93 schools, 4 and a quarter million meals or snacks during the 2023-24 school year.

They manage this on a grant of $4.29 per student, per year.

The lead agency in this area is the Victorian Order of Nurses. They administer the funds, assist with local fundraising, help recruit volunteers, build community partnerships and support the schools with advice and program suggestions.

The efforts of the staff and volunteers are incredible and appreciated. But this is not a good news story. The OSNP exists because otherwise, many young people would be going to school without breakfast, lunch or some nutritious snacks during the day.   

OSNP guidelines recognize: that good nutrition is important for healthy growth and physical development; healthy children are more prepared and able to learn; good nutrition at a young age reduces the risk of health problems later in life; and when students learn about healthy eating in their classrooms, they are more disposed to making healthier choices throughout their day and their lives.

The educational element of the program may have the most enduring effect. With programs and events, such as the Great Big Crunch – where students chomp down simultaneously, at a predetermined time on locally grown apples – help etch the idea of healthy eating in their minds.

American civil rights hero Cesar Chavez said, “the people who give you their food give you their heart.” Our students have certainly gotten both from the good folks who work for and with the Ontario Student Nutrition Program. They are all Champions for Education.

Wendy’s Leamington is a 10 minute walk or a 2 minute drive from Leamington District Secondary School.

It’s a popular neighbourhood lunch spot for students and staff and not just because of the menu or the prices – it’s the people. They believe in the company’s motto, “Good Done Right” - which is about more than about just the quality of the food.

The customers from LDSS truly appreciate the welcoming space Bonnie Porteous and the Wendy’s staff have created for them.

“Fresh not Frozen” is another corporate catch phrase that Wendy’s staff has taken to heart, but with a slight twist from the intended meaning. There’s a friendly warmth that radiates in the store. During a cold spell this winter staff gave gloves and a jacket to some students who were cold and they began collecting more clothing to have on hand for other times when the need arose.

Wendy’s has a solid history and reputation of community service and social justice throughout its more than 7000 restaurants. Internationally, they support education, foster care, adoption and animal welfare as well as climate action and sustainable development.

In 2022 Forbes Magazine declared Wendy’s one of the world’s best employers. And there are some students from LDSS who can attest to that. The Leamington store gave 2 students in the My Achievement Pathway to Success (M.A.P.S.) program their first ever paying jobs.

Wendy’s founder Dave Thomas would be proud of what they’re doing in Leamington. Their corporate values state that the company “should support the communities where it does business”.

There are many places you can grab lunch in Leamington, but we think Wendy’s is a classic choice…a Big Classic…because Bonnie Porteous and her staff are Champions for Education.