For the third straight year, student and teachers from elementary schools across the city are set to hit the streets for the TDSB Student GuluWalk in order to raise awareness and support for the youth of northern Uganda, an area that has been afflicted by two decades of civil conflict. The one-day event is the annual culmination of a partnership between The GuluWalk Movement, the Toronto District School Board and the Elementary Teachers of Toronto. More than 4,000 people will come together to walk through Toronto’s streets at 9:30 a.m. on Thursday, April 29, 2010. The two previous walks have raised more than $5,000 for youth programs in Uganda’s north.
The walk starts at the corner of Lawrence Avenue West and Yonge Street in the north end of Toronto. From there, students and teachers alike will embark upon a roughly three-hour journey south down Yonge before heading west along King Street. The walk is set to end at Metro Hall, where there will be music and a few short speeches.
“We walked, we cheered, we danced, and we learned that together we can make a difference.”
Interested students, teachers or parents can contact Kieran Hayward at kieran@athletesforafrica.com. For more information, please click below:
TESTIMONIALS! REGISTER TODAY! TEACHER TIPS!
GuluWalk is a campaign of Athletes for Africa that supports war-affected youth in northern Uganda. Started by two concerned citizens in 2005, today GuluWalk is an international movement for peace and reconstruction with over 30,000 participants in 75 cities in 16 different countries. The TDSB Student GuluWalk is supported by the Toronto District School Board and the Elementary Teachers of Toronto. It promotes character development in Toronto’s youth and global citizenship in the city’s classrooms.
The Elementary Teachers of Toronto (ETT) are handling registration for the TDSB Student GuluWalk. If you would like to sign up for the event on April 29, 2010, please email Karen Santer at ksanter@ett.on.ca. You will be sent a full resource kit upon registration, including lessons, activities, contest ideas, incentive prizes, book excerpts and more. Please include the following information in your registration email:
- Name of school
- Name(s) of teacher(s) walking
- Grade(s) walking
- Number of students walking
- If your school walked last year
- Your t-shirt size (for a free GuluWalk t-shirt – two will be included in the resource kit, one for
you and one as a student incentive prize)
- If you will be joining the group walk or if you need to make alternate arrangements
Fundraising is not required to participate in the TDSB Student GuluWalk, but if you would like to support the children of northern Uganda, we encourage you to use our online tools. It’s simple and easy. All you need to do is create a personal page on our site, send emails to family and friends asking for their support and then watch as your efforts help empower the next generation of Africa youth. You can also download a pledge form to collect donations in person: TDSB Student GuluWalk 2010 Pledge Form.
Sign up and start fundraising as an individual, class or school now!!!
“There are a lot of people who are in need in the world, and GuluWalk is great because it lets you get out of that dormant state and actively bring change.”
— Tommy, Grade 12, Newtonbrook S.S.
“GuluWalk lets students be a part of something bigger and see that they can do something. When they look around them and see several thousand kids all walking together and believing in the same thing, it’s empowering.”
– Bob Stronach, Grade 8 Teacher, Annette Street
“I think GuluWalk was a very good experience, even if a little tiring. I could never imagine walking in the dark or early morning for two or more hours and knowing that I could be taken captive at any moment. Also that my parents, my family would have no idea of what was happening to me. That might be the worst part. The walk really made me think of those things and others. But it was also fun and a chance to be with my friends.”
— Milly, age 11, Huron Street P.S.
We have 4 lesson plans available to teachers. These are great preparation tools for the 2010 Student GuluWalk. PDF copies are available below:
Lesson 1: Learning About Night Commuters
Lesson 2: Learning About Child Soldiers
Lesson 3: Learning About Uganda’s Internally Displaced People and Camps
Lesson 4: Rebuilding Peace in Northern Uganda
Unfortunately, we are having technical difficulties posting the video clips referred to in Lesson 4: Rebuilding Peace in Northern Uganda. For more info, please contact Kieran Hayward.
Also, check out the videos below to get to know two of the children we walk for in northern Uganda and a group of Toronto youth who participated in the inaugural TDSB Student GuluWalk:
Meet James:
Meet Josephine:
Meet students from the 2008 TDSB Student GuluWalk:
Footage courtesy of John Goodyear, Huron Street P.S.
