Who Is Nobody?™ is a literacy based character building education program that the Grade Ones at West Oak Public School are partaking in to change Nobody into a Somebody. The Who Is Nobody?™ kit comes with a teacher and student resource guide and a genderless, faceless, character-less demin doll. The goal of the program is for students to learn something positive from everyone's Nobody experience. The 5-step process is simple. Each student has a chance to take the Nobody doll home for a week and identify a living thing that they want to help, whether it be animals, people or the environment. By using their own unique interests and abilities they then decide how they can make a positive contribution towards their living thing whether it be a donation of their time, materials, or funds; or raising awareness; or both. After the student has made their contribution, they add a 3-D attachment to the doll to represent their Who Is Nobody?™ experience. Students write a story and include pictures of their experience in a shared class scrapbook and finally, make presentation to their class about their experience. Little by little, student by student, the class can see Nobody slowly change into a Somebody with more and more 3-D attachments being added to the doll.

Leia Martin in Mrs. Whittle's Grade 1 class decided to use her love of baking to help other kids like herself. She wanted to sell homemade cookies around her neighbourhood to raise money for the New Oakville Hospital and the Maternal Child Unit. Leia was born at OTMH and as an infant and toddler, was hospitalized a number of times overnight due to respiratory complications associated from childhood asthma. Because of these experiences, she wanted to give back to the Maternal Child Unit and also help with the much needed community funding for the New Oakville Hospital.

Amazingly, this impromptu door-to-door fundraiser raised $50.00 which she then personally donated to Trevor Nash at the Oakville Hospital Foundation. Just imagine if everyone could contribute just a little of their time and efforts towards fundraising or realize that every donation, no matter how big or small, does make a difference. The Who Is Nobody?™ initiative empowers children with the knowledge that they can make a difference through initiative, empathy, optimism, philanthropy, and raising awareness for a cause or organization close to their heart. Since the Who Is Nobody?™ program began in 2002, over 500 different organizations and causes have been helped through donations and awareness. For more information about the Who Is Nobody?™ experience, visit www.whoisnobody.com.

Submitted by Leia's Mom, Jeanny Lau

(l-r) Leia Martin presents a $50 cheque to Trevor Nash of the Oakville Hospital Foundation