Celebrating 3 Things for Calgary

Schools across Calgary are enthusiastically getting involved in the 3 Things for Calgary movement, and Sunalta School is a great example. At an all-student assembly yesterday, Mayor Nenshi's Chief of Staff Chima Nkemdirim spoke with students and teachers about how they could get more involved in making Calgary even better.

You can read Metro's coverage of the event here.

And here's an excerpt from the Calgary Herald article about Sunalta School's take on 3 Things for Calgary: 

Some civic-minded youngsters have taken on a challenge from the mayor to do three things to make Calgary a better place before the end of the year.

Around 300 students from a southwest school made the pledge Tuesday, collectively promising to make nearly 900 contributions to their street, neighbourhood and city by the spring.

An initiative of the mayor’s civic engagement committee, 3 Things for Calgary was launched in October with the goal of getting Calgarians to take on projects that benefit their community.

“The idea is that we’re all part of a community and we can all do stuff to make that community better,” said Chima Nkemdirim, the mayor’s chief of staff. “You can pick the thing — big or small. It could be helping to organize your kid’s little league team or inviting your neighbours over for a barbecue in the summer.”

In a speech to the Rotary Club of Calgary on Tuesday, Mayor Naheed Nenshi said the campaign was devised by volunteers.

There are many ways to give back, he said, some big and some small.

“My single favourite example is the guy who told me, ‘I’m going to have a barbecue, but I’m going to have it in my front yard instead of my backyard. And I’m going to invite all the neighbours I don’t really know,’” he said.

At a school assembly Tuesday, Sunalta students took turns sharing what their three things might be.

“Shovelling my neighbour’s sidewalk” and “Picking up garbage off the street” were popular, but “Listening to my mom and dad” drew appreciative nods from the adults in the room.

Principal Kel Connelly said the project fits well with the Calgary Board of Education’s curriculum emphasis on developing students’ sense of citizenship...

So, what are your three things for Calgary?

- Daorcey from Mayor Nenshi's team