Empowering Students for a Change
We believe young people are caring, creative, and capable.  Our mission is to provide educational leadership, empowering students to grow into their full potential and contribute to a better world.

For as long as Joel has been speaking professionally, he's been telling his famous version of Jack and The Beanstalk. The beanstalk symbolizes our project's vision for education in three ways:

1. Adventure and risk - Jack takes a chance on some magic beans. We think students should take more chances, and education should be an adventurous journey.
   
2. Growth - not only does the beanstalk grow, but Jack, an ordinary guy, grows to play an extraordinary role. Naturally, we think students deserve the space for individual growth.
3. Responsibility - It's Jack's decision to climb the beanstalk. Nobody else can climb it for him. We want students to be responsible for their learning, to feel more connected to their choices.

We believe that the process of creating is the only way to engage every student as an individual.  Every student cares about something, but often those "somethings" aren't dealt with in schools.  We help students create a project that will allow them to explore what they care about.   When you create something, you can't help but be engaged and connected to what you're doing.  Creativity helps students choose learning and involvement on their own, for their own unique reasons.  That's youth engagement.

In our experience, everybody - students and adults alike, get excited about contributing to a better world.  Our programs use Global Citizenship as a way to unite students who otherwise might not realize they have things in common.  The key is helping students tap into their natural motivations, and then providing some guidance so they see how their natural interests might benefit others too.  Once they see the possibilities of their own contributions, they get even more excited to take action.

Many youth engagement programs do a great job of getting students excited about social change. However, the students that are most engaged by these programs are generally already involved in extra-curricular programs. The Beanstalk Project focuses on youth engagement at its core: the individual student. By helping students create a project they care about, The Beanstalk Project aims to get each student more involved in his or her community. After all, don't all students deserve the chance to contribute meaningfully?

Well - lots of sorts!  Here's a list of some that have started:

• Yoga for Poverty - an in-school yoga program that donates funds to buy medical supplies for children in need
• Students 4 Students - a different monthly awareness campaign to promote student related issues locally and globally
• Beautiful You - a workshop for girls aged 12-16, to help them feel comfortable in their own skin and have great self-esteem
• On a Good Note - a program that curates and shares positive news stories with students in the school
• Go Green - a weeklong school-wide environmental festival 
• Tour de Freeskool - a cycling club to promote healthy living in Hamilton
• The Crayon Project - A fundraiser/awareness campaign for children who don't have fair access to education
• Free the Art! - an exhibition/art sale of students' works depicting the theme of human rights

That's not a question, but it is a reasonable thought.  It's true that not every student is ready, at this exact moment in time, to take on a big involved "project", but everyone can do something. Our definition of "project" might be a bit different than yours - To us, a project could be as "small" and simple as deciding to organize a get-together with some friends.  For some students, that's where they're at in their own development, so that's how we approach things.  The beauty of the program is that it's personalized; students are FREE to work at their own level and choose their own level of challenge.  Wherever they are, we help students identify the skills that they're already using and build from there.

Some students can be pretty self-centered, but we've never met a student who doesn't care about anything.  Frankly, we think if someone can't find something that a student cares about, it's probably because they haven't put much effort into it.   You put in the effort, of course (because you're still reading this page), but not everyone does.  People are busy.  So we teach students to be mentors and take an interest in each other.  A little attention goes a long way.  That said, our foundations for achievement program is focused on getting students to care enough to take the next step.  Call us, and we can discuss it.

Part of the program is training students to mentor each other.  We help teach them how to listen, how to ask questions, and how to help hold each other accountable.  We offer ongoing support for the mentors, so they can offer ongoing support to your school, and that's what creates sustainable, lasting culture change.

Absolutely.  Using students as mentors to work alongside incoming students can be an amazing way to help new students feel connected to the school.  Not only do they make social connections, but new students feel that their ideas are valued from day one.

Yes!  Beanstalk Project programs are great opportunities to invite community members to participate in student life.  Many adults will be enthusiastic to offer support to students with their projects, so you'll be building positive relationships with the community. Enthusiastic adult guidance for students. Student achievement in the eyes of the community.  Win-win. Awesome.