As Moms, I firmly believe if we raise our children to be kind, caring, generous human beings then we are fulfilling a huge purpose right there. But I also believe we are capable of more. We each have unique skills and talents and if we just figure out how to tap into them, we can really make a difference and leave our mark (no matter how big or small.)
Sometimes all it takes is a little inspiration to help you figure it out. For me the inspiration came home with my 9-year old who told me about Project Giveback; a new class at school that was teaching empathy and developing community minded students by having each child connect with a cause that is meaningful to them.
Now THIS was the kind of homework I could roll up my sleeves and get into! So after spending the evening investigating charities with my daughter, I tucked her in and did a little research of my own. And I was amazed to discover that this incredible program was started by a Mom of 3 named Ellen Schwartz, whose own story is as inspiring as they come.
Ellen is well known in the Toronto community as the co-founder of Jacob’s Ladder – a charitable organization which aims to reduce the occurrences of neurodegenerative disease, named after her eldest son who was born with Canavan disease. This busy Mom is a speaker, a teacher and an author to boot, so I was in awe to hear she was also the creator of and driving force behind Project Giveback.
I had to hear more. Where did she find the time? How did she make it happen? And what can we all learn from her? So I gave her a call and here’s what I learned:
What is Project Give Back?
Project Giveback is a passion based program designed for elementary students to develop empathy, build character, and ignite community minded citizens. It’s a year-long journey where children teach each other about philanthropy, and develop an understanding for the world around them. It’s educational yet inspirational. Right now it’s offered in 44 classes throughout the city of Toronto. Every year we add 1 or 2 schools. We grow slowly and carefully. I’d rather teach 100 kids and reach 100 kids than teach 1,000 and only reach 100.
What inspired you to start Project Give Back?
When Jacob was first diagnosed, I was looking for ways to cope with his disease. I would bake and give it away, and I quickly realized how good it felt to give. That feeling helped me cope. So I decided to tap into that by using what I had developed as a teacher in my own classroom before becoming a Mom. My passion was teaching life lessons so I found ways to take the curriculum and base the year on one big lesson my students would never forget. Once I had Jacob, he really became my muse. I wanted to do some good in the world and make some sense out of his diagnosis. So Project Giveback started. The initiative was so positive it gave me strength. And, it fit into my schedule of caring for an ill child.
What was your biggest challenge getting it going?
I knew it worked in my classroom, but if I was going to take it on the road I needed to make sure it worked in different classrooms and diversities. So I took a year off from my teaching job and went to 19 classes a week all year and piloted it. I tweaked the curriculum to apply to every unique class. That was a BUSY year working all day and up every other night with Jacob. But I managed to nab the curriculum and I was thrilled with the results. Then I hired 3 teachers, trained them over the summer and started implementing the program.
What is the best thing that’s happened since you started?
The empathy being born. Seeing one child share something personal about a cause that they truly care about and watching it affect someone else in the class. Also, the confidence that comes about. They work harder on this than anything and when I ask them why, they say “because it matters, it’s important and it feels good”. And that’s why I’m doing this. Every lesson is the boomerang effect. You throw kindness out there and you see what comes back.
What is your hope for the kids that go through the program?
My hope is that this feeling sticks and they carry on with the connection they’ve made. That they become more accepting and compassionate to people around them.
What would you say to other Moms who want to do something, but don’t know where to start?
I think you should figure out what you love, what makes you feel great and what you are very passionate about – and move on from there. But the trick is to move on and not get stuck. So often we know we want to, but we don’t. The answer is Show Up. Do it. Do it small, see how it feels, then do it a bit bigger.
Now I’m off to the grocery store. I want to do some baking of my own. I’m already dreaming of the feeling of knocking on my neighbors’ doors and handing them a home-baked treat. I’m ready to start small and spread a little joy close to home. Who knows where it will take me……
Who inspires YOU?? I’d love to hear about it. I hope you’ll leave a comment below, and be sure to connect with me on Facebook and Twitter. I look forward to hearing from you………
– Meryl
There IS life After Mom. What will YOURS look like?
