It’s a snowy Friday morning, but Deborah Wood’s grade four class is all ears as their teacher announces that it’s time to start Social Studies.

“Who’s the man in charge of the UN?” Wood asks the class, as eager hands shoot up all around. The questions keep coming, but the students are up for the challenge, listing Millennium Development goals and identifying continents all over the map.

It’s not that unique to see a group of elementary students learning the basics of a global education. What makes this classroom in Jasper Elementary School so special is the keen interest that the children display for the subject matter.

It is an interest borne of a connection to the concept of poverty and inequality that goes well beyond books, maps and white boards. Wood’s grade four class has focused their energy and attention on raising money for the children and education system of Grenada.

A tiny island nation located in the Caribbean Sea just north of the Venezuelan coast, Grenada has been buffeted by enormous hurricanes in back-to-back years. In 2004, Hurricane Ivan destroyed an estimated 90 per cent of the homes on the island. Earlier this year Hurricane Emily struck, causing $110 million US in damages.

This double dose of devastation touched off a flurry of action by Wood. She had spent time in Grenada as part of Project Overseas, a program run by the Canadian Teacher’s Federation, teaching Grenadan educators the finer points of guidance counselling. When she saw the damage that Ivan wrought, she co-ordinated a year-long fundraising drive at JES that saw the school and students collect about $6,000 for Grenada. Before any serious rebuilding attempts were even made, Emily worsened the situation for the country. With Grenadans facing a difficult time ahead to start their lives again, Wood decided to continue the effort to assist.

“Sometimes kids need to realize that even living in Jasper a little person can make a big difference,” she says. 

So far, JES students have raised $160 for Grenada, the majority of which came from a Halloween Haunted House organized by Connie Sawka’s Grade 5 class. There are other events in the offing, including  a profit-splitting night with Jasper Pizza Place that will see 50 per cent of the night’s profits on Friday November 25 go to the cause. Students will also be selling the 50/50 tickets at the December 10 Jasper Wolves home game, with proceeds going to support Grenada.

When all is said and done, Wood hopes that her class and others at JES manage to replicate last year’s impressive fundraising effort.

“We don’t have a specific target, but we’d like to at least equal what we raised in the past.” 

Back in the classroom, Wood is making sure that the students are aware that poverty exists all over the world. Pointing to various continents on the map, she asks the class if there are poor people living there. A chorus in the affirmative greets her every time.

“There are even poor people in Jasper,” one student says earnestly as Wood points to North America. Another boy is quick to confirm that Antarctica is not immune.

“The penguins don’t have any homes,” he says to the giggling approval of his classmates.

Joking aside, the Wood’s students are well aware of the importance of the lessons they are learning this year.

“It’s raised our awareness about what’s going on,” says fourth-grader Gaby Wall.

 Her classmate Stefan Wood knows plenty about the plight of children in Grenada.

“Their families can’t buy enough food and there’s no drinking water,” he says. “Kids cry every time that it rains because they remember the hurricanes.”

As the class draws to an end, Wood assigns a research project to students. They will study any country they choose from the atlas and prepare a presentation on what seems to be an exhaustive list of attributes. Despite the daunting task ahead of them, students mob Wood almost as soon as she’s finished setting the assignment, urgently calling out the countries they want to study.

“Unfortunately, we can’t go on a field trip to all these places,” Wood tells them with a smile. She’ll be off on a field trip of her own in February, however. Wood is completing  a Master’s in Leadership from Royal Roads University and will be travelling to Grenada to research the Project Overseas teacher training program for her thesis. She’ll take a cheque from the fundraising events with her.

“I’ll be taking it directly and presenting it to the president of the Grenada Union of Teachers,” she says. “It’s nice to know that the money will be going right to the group we want it to.”

Between now and then, Wood and her students have work to do.

Above her desk, a set of sketches depicting Grenadan children look down on the Canadian students busy at their books. They’ve never met, yet these two groups of children are linked by the bonds of humanity and generosity alike.