Ftc Media Kit 2008

MEDIA KIT

Photo © V. Tony Hauser

media kit

Dear Friends, It seems like yesterday that Free The Children was founded by a group of 12-year-old children dreaming of changing the world. Through the hard work and dedication of young people, and with the help of our remarkable adult supporters, the organization has since grown into the world’s largest network of children helping children through education. We have received a number of awards for our work, including the World’s Children’s Prize for the Rights of the Child, also known as the Children’s Nobel Prize, and four nominations for the Nobel Prize. To date, we have built more than 500 schools, providing daily education to 50,000 children. And, our programs Photo © V. Tony Hauser

have impacted more than one million youth in more than 45 countries. It has been an exciting year for Free The Children. Here are some of the major milestones we have been able to reach this past year:

• 500th school: 2007 marked an important milestone as we began construction on our 500th school. • First annual National Me to We Day: We held our first annual National Me to We Day event in Toronto. Featuring some of Canada’s most socially conscious speakers and entertainers, more than 7,500 students were in attendance and thousands more tuned in via a live webcast.

• O Ambassadors program: In September 2007, we launched our O Ambassadors program, a joint initiative with Oprah’s Angel network. The program has had overwhelming success and work’s hand-in-hand with educators and youth

• Me to We book launch: New York Times bestsellers and co-authors Craig Kielburger and Marc Kielburger launched their new book Me to We: Finding Meaning in a Material World. Free The Children’s success is a true testament to the amazing work of young people. We look forward to sharing with you the many more innovative programs and inspiring stories of how youth are making a difference around the world.

Craig Kielburger Marc Kielburger Founder and Chair Free The Children

Chief Executive Director Free The Children

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ABOUT FREE THE CHILDREN Free The Children is the world’s largest network of children helping children through education, with more than one million youth involved in our innovative education and development programs in 45 countries. Founded in 1995 by international child rights activist Craig Kielburger, Free The Children has a proven track record of success. The organization has received the World’s Children’s Prize for the Rights of the Child (also known as the Children’s Nobel Prize), the Human Rights Award from the World Association of Non-Governmental Organizations, and has formed successful partnerships with leading school boards and Oprah’s Angel Network. The primary goals of the organization are to free children from poverty and exploitation and free young people from the notion that they are powerless to affect positive change in the world. Through domestic empowerment programs and leadership training, Free The Children inspires young people to develop as socially conscious global citizens and become agents of change for their peers around the world. Free The Children has built more than 500 schools around the world and has reached more than one million young people through outreach in North America.

Empowering Youth at the Local Level Free The Children’s youth programming helps young people engage with social issues and realize they can make real contributions in their communities and in developing countries around the world. Through their participation, young people develop into socially conscious global citizens. Our youth programming includes:

• • • •

Fundraising and awareness campaigns Programs to educate and engage youth in global issues Inspirational and motivational speaking tours* Summer camp leadership academies*

*Selected programs are created and facilitated in partnership with Me to We (Leaders Today), Free The Children’s partner organization.

Empowering International Communities Free The Children’s holistic development model, Adopt a Village, works in collaboration with communities to develop local capacity in the area of education and other basic needs. The Adopt a Village model is comprised of four program areas, which ensure that all community needs are met equally: education, alternative income, clean water and health care. All the components are dedicated towards achieving long term sustainability of the community. Free The Children’s development work is focused in the rural communities of Kenya, Sierra Leone, China and Sri Lanka.

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How it all began Free The Children was founded in 1995 by Craig Kielburger and his grade 7 classmates. Looking for the comic section one morning before school, Craig Kielburger came across an article in the Toronto Star. The front page immediately caught his eye, showing a picture of a boy wearing a bright red vest and his fist held high. The headline read “Battled child labor, boy, 12, murdered.” The article told the story of Iqbal Masih, a young boy from Pakistan, who was sold into child labour at the age of four as a carpet weaver to pay back a loan his parents had incurred. Iqbal worked 12 hours a day, six days a week, tying tiny knots to make carpets. The article said Iqbal had been murdered for raising the issue in the press and politics at the age of 12, the same age as Craig at the time. Craig was angry. He made copies of the newspaper article and distributed it to his classmates sharing with them the alarming statistics of child labour he had read. At that time, there were more than 250 million child labourers in the world, many working full time and in hazardous conditions. Craig asked who would help him fight for children’s rights. Eleven hands shot up and Free The Children was born. Craig and his peers soon came to realize that human rights organizations working to end child labour had few or no young people involved in their organization. It became clear that Free The Children would not only work to help free children such as Iqbal in developing countries, from poverty and exploitation, but would also help to free young people at home from the notion that they are powerless to affect positive change in the world. Today, Free The Children is the world’s largest network of children helping children through education, with more than one million young people involved in the organization’s education and development programs in more than 45 countries. An internationally recognized organization, Free The Children has done extensive work with leading school boards across Canada and with Oprah’s Angel Network. Unlike any other children’s charity, Free The Children is both funded and driven by youth.

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FUNDRAISING AND AWARENESS CAMPAIGNS Free The Children’s campaigns provide youth with the knowledge and tools to make a tangible difference in the world. With imagination and the possibilities are endless. Our fundraising and awareness campaigns encourage youth to incorporate their own ideas and perspectives into the fundraising process.

Adopt a village:

Celebrate for Change:

Adopt a Village challenges youth to assist children and families in a

The Celebrate for Change campaign provides youth with a chance

holistic way by combining all of the necessary components for build-

to throw a party for children everywhere. Young people hold an

ing healthy communities. Youth choose to help build schools, pro-

event while raising awareness and funds that will change the lives

vide alternative income resources, and develop clean water projects. of children and their communities in the four places where Free The Additionally, youth can choose to “adopt a village” in the rural areas Children works: the rural areas of Kenya, Sierra Leone, China and Sri of Kenya, Sierra Leone, China or Sri Lanka.

Lanka.

www.freethechildren.com/adoptavillage

www.freethechildren/celebrateforchange

Vow of Silence:

Halloween for Hunger:

Vow of Silence “speaks to the world” on March 1 of every year when Halloween for Hunger encourages youth to think globally and act thousands of youth involved in the campaign choose to remain silent locally to help alleviate hunger and raise awareness for global povfor 24 hours to raise awareness about children’s rights issues and to

erty. This unique campaign strengthens capacity of local food banks

recognize those children who don’t have a voice: child labourers, chil-

to support those in need. Youth trick-or-treat for canned goods and

dren in poverty, children who are abused and neglected and children

make a difference in their communities.

who are not able to attend school. Youth and students collect pledg-

www.freethechildren.com/halloweenforhunger

es for each hour of silence to give impoverished children a voice.

www.freethechildren.com/vowofsilence

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THE ISSUE: CHILD RIGHTS AND POVERTY Background Information: In 1989, almost 40 years after the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, a new international law gave children their own inalienable rights and freedoms. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) was the culmination of the efforts of global and youth leaders to end generations of child exploitation. And yet, in today’s world, there are strong forces working against giving children fair and equal access to a happy, productive and healthy existence. Poverty is the single biggest obstacle. Poverty is a critical global issue. Impoverished people struggle to survive on a daily basis. Poverty deprives children and families of basic services such as health care and education, which is critical for their survival and development.

• • • • •

Almost half the world’s population lives on less than $2 a day Out of the world’s 2.2 billion children, half of them live in poverty 1 in 3 children in developing countries lives without adequate shelter 1 in 5 children has no access to safe water 1 in 7 children has no access to health services

Children living in circumstances of poverty, lacking access to an education and a healthy upbringing are forced to fend for themselves as best they can under harsh and dangerous circumstances. Their lack of support makes them particularly vulnerable to exploitation.

• • • • •

Globally, an estimated 218 million children are engaged in some form of labour Around the world today, 300,000 children are fighting as child soldiers 121 million children are not in school—56 percent of whom are girls and 94 percent of them live in developing countries 133 million young people cannot read or write 2 million children die every year from infections spread by dirty water and lack of sanitations

The International Approach: Millennium Development Goals: At the United Nations Millennium Summit in September 2000, nearly 200 leaders from around the world agreed to a set of measurable objectives, known as the eight Millennium Development Goals, to improve the circumstances of poverty-stricken children and communities around the world. The objective of these goals is to promote “a comprehensive approach and a coordinated strategy, tackling many of our world’s most pressing problems across a broad front.” The international community is working towards achieving these Millennium Development Goals by the year 2015.

Free The Children Approach: To free children from poverty and exploitation, Free The Children works to develop communities using its holistic Adopt a Village development model, which integrates four specific programs in order to ensure long term sustainability of the community. These are education, alternative income, health care and water and sanitation. The Adopt a Village is delivered to children and their families in the rural areas of Kenya, Sierra Leone, China and Sri Lanka By partnering with local communicates, Free The Children ensures that each development project addresses the specific needs of individual communities. Local families are at the centre of the development process, and the change they see is truly meaningful for them. From schoolchildren helping children through education

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buidling to skills training, each project is designed in consultation with its direct beneficiaries. Our project staff is comprised of local people, chosen for their commitment to community empowerment and their vision for a brighter future. Through Adopt a Village, we address every facet of community development, empowering communities to break the cycle of poverty.

Education: We believe education provides the highest return of any social involvement in the developing world. It is the first step towards social and economic opportunities and development. It is the best way to empower people with the tools, knowledge and confidence they need to promote and protect their own rights, growth and self-sufficiency. Education is the key to breaking the cycle of poverty. Since 1995, Free The Children has built 500 schools, providing education to more than 50,000 children daily.

Health Care: Free The Children recognizes the link between helping disadvantaged communities meet their basic healthcare needs and building strong communities. The organization is dedicated to improving the quality of life in remote and poverty-stricken areas –especially for women and children. Health care provides basic medical help and promotes preventative health care strategies through family nutrition and health education. More than 512,500 children and adults have benefited from Free The Children’s health centres and programs.

Alternative Income: With a focus on marginalized women, alternative income projects allow parents to remove their children from dangerous working conditions and send them to school. Evidence shows that women invest their earned income back into their families, resulting in an improvement in family health and welfare. Free The Children’s alterative income projects have directly benefited more than 23,500 women and their families in Africa, Asia and Latin America.

Water and Sanitation: Water and sanitation projects are built next to schools so that girls can attend schools and collect clean water at the same time. Many diseases and illnesses found in developing countries are transmitted and spread through contaminated water and inadequate sanitations systems. Free The Children’s water program have helped 138,500 people gain access to clean water sources, improved sanitation and school latrines.

Case study from Free The Children’s Adopt a Village Project: Mercy’s Story Mercy is an AIDS orphan who lost both her parents to the disease. The morning we met her, her eyes were dull. We were told she had been very unwell and had lost a lot of weight. Then she collapsed. Michelle Hambly, the head of our mobile health clinics in the community, immediately took Mercy to the local hospital. We will never forget the hot day in August when we received her test results. Mercy started to cry. But they were tears of joy. She gave Michelle a long hug. She tested positive for TB and typhoid, but negative for HIV. Mercy knew all too well what an AIDS diagnosis would have meant for her. We immediately integrated Mercy into our Adopt a Village program. Typhoid can be prevented by clean water. TB can be treated through health care. HIV can be avoided through education. Mercy was so excited about going to school. She explained that she wanted to be a teacher. “I want to help educate children so they can have a future too,” she said. children helping children through education

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FACT SHEET

Programs and Partners: • O Ambassadors: A joint project of Oprah’s Angel Network and Free The Children, the O Ambassadors program aims to inspire young people to become active, compassionate and knowledgeable global citizens.

Mission Statement: • Free The Children works to free children from poverty and exploitation and free young people from the notion that they are powerless to affect positive change in the world.

• Directors of Change: Supported by Nokia, the Directors of Change program combines youth-made documentary films and a resource guide to help educators bring social issues alive in the classroom.

• Life in Action: In partnership with the Robert C. and Veronica

Organization:

Atkins Foundation, the Life in Action program delivers innovative

• Free The Children was founded in 1995 by international child

and unique youth leadership training on healthy and active living.

rights activists Craig Kielburger at age 12.

• Sixty-three per cent of Free The Children’s funding comes directly

• National Me to We Day: Supported by National Bank Financial, this one-of-a-kind event educates and empowers 7,500

from youth-led fundraising. The organization’s administrative

youth for an exclusive year-long program to lead awareness and

costs are only nine per cent of total expenditure.

fundraising activities through Free The Children’s Adopt a Village program.

North American Programming: • Free The Children has established more than 2,000 Youth in

• Global Voices: A weekly column, written by Craig and Marc Kielburger and published by the Toronto Star and in the

Action Groups (student-led fundraising groups) across the US and

Vancouver Sun, is supplemented by educator resources to

Canada, engaging more than 20,000 young people.

engage young people about social justice issues by bringing the

• Free The Children works with networks of schools across the United States and with leading school boards across Canada,

newspaper into the classroom.

• Me to We Awards: In partnership with Canadian Living

providing educational resources, tools and curriculum to assist

magazine, Free The Children recognizes Canadians who are

educators in introducing important social justice issues in the

making a difference in the lives of others. Craig and Marc

classroom.

Kielburger also write a monthly Me to We column in Canadian Living magazine.

International Programming: • Free The Children has worked in more than 45 countries and has built more than 500 schools in developing countries providing daily education to 50,000 children

• Alternative income projects have directly benefited more than 23,500 women and their families in Africa, Asia and Latin America.

• Free The Children’s holistic development model, Adopt a Village, provides families and communities with education, alternative income, health care and water and sanitation. The Adopt a Village model operates in rural Kenya, Sierra Leone, China and Sri Lanka

• More than 512,500 children and adults have benefited from Free The Children’s health centres and programs

• Water programs implemented by Free The Children have helped 138,500 people gain access to clean water sources, improved

Awards: • World’s Children’s Prize for the Rights of the Child (also known as the “Children’s Nobel Prize”) (2006)

• Staff members honoured with the Order of Canada, Canada’s Most Powerful Women: Top 100 and Canada’s Top 40 under 40, as well as Top 20 under 20 award (2007)

• Government of Canada’s Huguette Labelle Award for Excellence in Youth Programming (2006)

• World Association of Non-Governmental Organization’s Human Rights Awards (2006)

• N obel Peace Prize nominations (2006, 2004, 2003, 2002) • Roosevelt Freedom Medal (1998) • State of the World Forum Award (1997)

sanitation and school latrines

• Free The Children has shipped $15 million US in essential medical supplies to 40 countries

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FAQ’S Organization: 1. What does Free The Children do? The primary goal of Free The Children is to free children from poverty

6. What is Free The Children’s charitable registration number?

and exploitation and free young people from the notion that they are In Canada, Free The Children is registered under the number powerless to affect positive change in the world. Locally, we provide 88657 8095 RR0001 youth-friendly resources and programs to educate young people on global issues and give them the tools they need to take action at lo-

In the US, Free The Children is registered under

cal, national and international levels.

501 (c) (3) -16-1533544

Internationally, Free The Children works with local communities to provide holistic community development through its Adopt a Village

Donations:

model. To date, Free The Children has built more than 500 schools in developing countries around the world, and provides education on a daily basis to 50,000 children.

7. Can donors choose to support a particular community or region? Absolutely! Donors can choose what project and region they would

2. What makes Free The Children so unique?

like to see their donation go towards. We provide all our donors with

Unlike any other children’s organization, Free The Children is both detailed reports twice a year to show the progress of the community funded and driven by youth. Sixty-three per cent of all our funding donors have helped support. comes from youth-driven fundraising.

8. What percentage of donations is used for administrative 3. Where are Free The Children’s main area’s of operation cost and how much reaches children directly? Nine cents of every dollar donated goes toward the organization’s internationally? Currently Free The Children work’s in the rural communities of Kenya, administrative costs, one of the lowest in the charitable field. Ninetyone per cent of all donations go directly to international projects that China, Sierra Leone and Sri Lanka. provide children in developing communities with quality primary

4. How does Free The Children choose its areas of operation?

education. You can view Free The Children’s annual report on the website at www.freethechildren.com.

Free The Children has a history of working in the world’s most remote and isolated areas. After conducting a thorough needs-based assessment with local community members and Free The Children staff, an

Fundraising and Awareness Campaigns:

area of operation is finalized.

9. What is Adopt a Village? 5. What is Me to We?

The Adopt a Village program supports Free The Children’s holistic

Me to We is a philosophy coined by Craig Kielburger and Marc Kiel-

community development model, also called Adopt a Village. The

burger that is about finding meaning in our lives and our world by program is made up of three fundraising and awareness campaigns, reaching out to others. The Me to We philosophy is at the heart of which include Adopt a Village: Brick by Brick, Adopt a Village: AlternaFree The Children’s work. Free The Children is committed to chang-

tive Income and Adopt a Village: Clean Water to provide communities

ing the world, promoting social responsibility and responding to with quality education, health care services, alternative income projchallenges facing the world – all of which embodies the Me to We ects and safe drinking water and sanitation systems. philosophy.

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FAQ’S 10. What other campaigns does Free The Children offer 12. How can youth get involved in Free The Children’s youth? overseas projects? Vow of Silence campaign: On March 1 of every year, youth collect Every year, more than a thousand young people embark on interpledges and fundraise by remaining silent for 24 hours to recognize national volunteer and leadership trips through Free The Children’s all those children around the world who don’t have a voice and suffer partner organization, Leaders Today. Trips participants learn to build silently because of poverty.

schools and work to help local communities while enjoying the eyeopening experience of new cultures, inspiring the next generation of

Halloween for Hunger campaign: Encourages youth to think glob- world-changing global citizens. ally and act locally to help alleviate hunger and raise awareness of global poverty by strengthening the capacity of local food banks to

13. How can educators get involved?

support those in need.

Free The Children provides several curriculum and classroom activities designed for educators at the elementary and secondary levels.

Celebrate for Change campaign: The campaign combines raising These resources enable educators to develop socially conscious awareness with throwing a party to raise funds that will change the global citizens while raising awareness of important social issues aflives of children and their communities in the five places where Free fecting communities across the world. The Children works.

14. How can the general public get involved? Fundraising: By providing donations, the general public can help

Get Involved:

Free The Children raise awareness and fundraise for Adopt a Village. For tangible actions and fundraising ideas on how families and work-

11. How can youth get involved?

places nation wide can get involved and take action visit the “Get

By starting a Youth in Action Group, youth can get involved in their Involved” section at www.freethechildren.com for a downloadable communities and affect change around the world. Our Youth in Ac- family kit and office kit. tion network represents a global movement of youth who are committed to making a difference by taking action in support of Free The Me to We Awards: Nominate someone who is making a difference in Children’s development projects in the rural areas of Kenya, Sierra

your community for a Me to We award. For more information please

Leone, China and Sri Lanka. A team of dedicated youth coordinators visit www.metowe.org and regional represenatives provide regular leadership workshops, seminars and volunteer opportunites for young people to remain engaged. And our youth coordinators are always only a phone call away in case a young person is in need of help and guidance. For information and profiles on youth who have done interesting and inspiring work, please contact Melissa Yaw, Communications Coordinator, by e-mailing [email protected].

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Photo © V. Tony Hauser

Craig kielburger Craig Kielburger is an accomplished child rights advocate, leadership specialist, New York Times best-selling author and a speaker with a powerful message. He is the founder of Free The Children, the world’s largest network of children helping children through education, and the co-founder of Leaders Today, a world renowned youth leadership organization. Craig has received many awards for his work, including the Nelson Mandela Human Rights Award, the World Economic Forum GLT Award, the Roosevelt Freedom Medal, the Order of Canada, the Human Rights Award from the World Association of Non-Governmental Organizations and the World’s Children’s Prize for the Rights of the Child, also known as the Children’s Nobel Prize. He has a degree in peace and conflict studies from the University of Toronto and is the recipient of four honorary doctorates. When Craig was 12, he was shocked to learn about the murder of a child labourer-turned-child rights activist. Eager to take action, he established Free The Children to help free children from poverty, exploitation and powerlessness. The organization began as a small group of classmates and quickly evolved into an international phenomenon. Under Craig’s leadership, Free The Children has reached more than one million young people through its domestic and international programs. The organization has built more than 500 schools in Asia, Africa and Latin America, providing daily education to more than 50,000 children. Free The Children’s many accomplishments in the areas of education, alternative income, health care, water and sanitation provision and peacebuilding have earned four Nobel Peace Prize nominations, and facilitated successful partnerships with leading school boards and Oprah’s Angel Network. Convinced of the importance of leadership development in empowering youth, Craig co-founded Leaders Today in 1999. Leaders Today empowers young people through leadership education, providing them with the inspiration and tools to affect positive social change. The organization delivers one-of-a-kind local and international training experiences, reaching more than 350,000 youth every year. Now 25, Craig has travelled to more than 50 countries, visiting underprivileged children and speaking out in defence of children’s rights. An internationally renowned speaker, Craig frequently addresses business groups, government bodies, educators, health care groups, unions and students. A sought-after speaker, he has shared the podium a number of times with former U.S. president Bill Clinton, as well as with such world renowned leaders as Queen Noor, Archbishop Desmond Tutu and the Dalai Lama. Craig’s first book, Free the Children, won the prestigious Christopher Award and has since been translated into eight languages. He is coauthor of the bestsellers Take Action! A Guide to Active Citizenship, Take More Action and Me to We: Turning Self-Help on its Head. His most recent book, Me to We: Finding Meaning in a Material World, is co-authored with his brother Marc Kielburger, and is a New York Times Bestseller. This inspirational volume empowers people of all ages to live the Me to We philosophy of volunteerism, service to others and social involvement. Together with his brother, Craig is a syndicated columnist for two of Canada’s largest newspapers, the Toronto Star and the Vancouver Sun, and he writes an online column for the Huffington Post. He also writes for Canada’s most widely read women’s magazine, Canadian Living. Craig has shown the world that no one is ever too young to make a difference. His work has been featured on The Oprah Winfrey Show, CNN, CBC, BBC, 60 Minutes and profiled in The Economist, Time and People magazines, and numerous newspapers.

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Photo © V. Tony Hauser

marc kielburger Marc Kielburger is an accomplished social advocate, leadership specialist, New York Times best-selling author and a speaker with a powerful message. He is the co-founder and chief executive director of Leaders Today, a world renowned youth leadership organization. He is also the chief executive director of Free The Children, the world’s largest network of children helping children through education. Marc has been recognized for his vision and leadership with Canada’s Top 40 Under 40 award and has received an Ashoka Fellowship for his innovation and commitment to social change. He is the youngest person ever to be awarded the Ontario Medal for Good Citizenship and is the recipient of an honorary doctorate of education from Nipissing University for his work in leadership development. Marc has been honoured as a 2007 Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum. With the determination to protect the environment, Marc first became socially involved when he was 13 years old. He went on to serve as a parliamentary page in the Canadian House of Commons, work with AIDS patients in the slums of Bangkok, and volunteer in Kenya, where he helped local women establish a fair trade cooperative. Marc is a Harvard graduate and Rhodes Scholar. He graduated magna cum laude from Harvard University, having completed a degree in internationalrelations. After winning a coveted Rhodes scholarship, he went on to complete a law degree at Oxford University with an emphasis on human rights law. Convinced of the importance of leadership development in empowering youth, Marc co-founded Leaders Today in 1999. Leaders Today empowers young people through leadership education, providing them with the inspiration and tools to affect positive social change. The organization delivers one-of-a-kind local and international training experiences, reaching more than 350,000 youth every year. As chief executive director of Free The Children, Marc oversees a unique, youth-driven charity that has changed the lives of more than one million young people around the world. The organization has built more than 500 schools that provide daily education to more than 50,000 children. Free The Children’s many accomplishments in the areas of education, alternative income, health care, water and sanitation provision and peacebuilding have earned four Nobel Peace Prize nominations and facilitated successful partnerships with leading school boards and Oprah’s Angel Network. Marc has now travelled to more than 50 countries, visiting the world’s most underprivileged people and speaking out on a variety of social issues. He frequently addresses business groups, government bodies, educators, unions and students. A sought-after speaker, he has shared the podium a number of times with former U.S. president Bill Clinton, as well as with such world renowned leaders as Queen Noor and the Dalai Lama. Marc is the co-author of the bestsellers Take Action!—A Guide to Active Citizenship, Take More Action and Me to We: Turning Self-Help on Its Head. His most recent book, Me to We: Finding Meaning in a Material World is a New York Times best-seller co-authored with his brother Craig and published by Wiley. This inspirational volume empowers people of all ages to live the Me to We philosophy of volunteerism, service to others and social involvement. Together with Craig, Marc also writes a regular column for Canada’s largest newspaper, the Toronto Star, and for Canada’s most widely read women’s magazine, Canadian Living. Marc has shown the world that young people can become the leaders of today as well as tomorrow. His work has been featured on The Oprah Winfrey Show, CNN, CBC, BBC, 60 Minutes and profiled in numerous newspapers and magazines. children helping children through education

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LEADERS IN SOCIAL ENTERPRISE

Free The Children’s work with partner organizations promotes a multi-faceted model of social enterprise that furthers their shared philosophy of social responsibility and ethical business practices. These projects encourage young people to think innovatively about social change while directing revenue towards Free The Children’s projects in developing nations, keeping our organizational administrative costs low and benefiting those most in need. Additionally, these social enterprises also provide businesses and organizations with unique corporate social responsibility initiatives.

Me to We: [Responsible Style] (www.metowestyle.com) Me to We: [Responsible Style] is the first-ever Canadian enterprise to provide domestically-produced, sweatshop-free apparel made from certified 100 per cent organic cotton or bamboo. This product line—including t-shirts, hoodies, sweatpants and more (custom screening and embroidery available)—allows consumers to wear clothing that reflects social awareness in style. Half of all profits support Free The Children’s sustainable community development projects in Kenya, Sierra Leone, China and Sri Lanka.

Publications Beginning with Free the Children, Craig Kielburger’s inspiring account of his first trips abroad to investigate child labour, our publications provide inspirational learning and tangible tools to make a difference in our world. Me to We: Finding Meaning in a Material World, a New York Times bestseller, is a manual, a manifesto and the beginning of the Me to We movement built on the philosophy that we can change our lives and our world by reaching out to others. Me to We features contributions from Oprah Winfrey, Richard Gere, Archbishop Desmond Tutu and more. Take Action! A Guide to Active Citizenship equips young people with the tools they need to make a difference, including sections on fundraising, working with the media, public speaking and action planning. Take More Action! is an advanced guide to character education, ethical leadership and global citizenship that empowers young adults to bring about social change. The Making of an Activist is a kaleidoscope of colours celebrating Free The Children’s passionate young change-makers and inspiring all readers to take action.

Leaders Today’s International Volunteer and Leadership Trips (www.leaderstoday.com) Every year, more than a thousand young people embark on international volunteer and leadership trips through Leaders Today to Free The Children’s international projects in some of the most fascinating places on Earth—places like rural China, Kenya, India, Mexico and Ecuador. Trips participants teach, build schools and work to help local communities while enjoying the eye-opening experience of new cultures, inspiring the next generation of world-changing global citizens. Family and corporate trips are also available. International trips are facilitated by Leaders Today, Free The Children’s partner organization.

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