Student spotlight: Creating awareness in classrooms through Project Give Back! 

This month, we’re celebrating a group of inspiring students who chose Food Allergy Canada for their Project Give Back presentations.  

With Project Give Back, students in  grades 4-6 learn about how to make a difference in the lives of others. Participating students first select a charity of their choice. In the three parts of the program, they research the charity and present findings to their class, plan and implement a hands-on “FUNraiser” to demonstrate a unique aspect of their charity, and write a letter to the charity outlining their project.   

The following five students shared personal stories, educated their classmates about food allergy, and raised awareness in meaningful ways through Project Give Back. We’re proud to highlight their efforts and the thoughtful messages they shared with their peers. We hope their stories inspire others to spread food allergy awareness within their schools.  

Jonathan J., grade 4

Why did you choose Food Allergy Canada? 
As somebody who has a few food allergies myself, I chose Food Allergy Canada to educate kids in my class about the difficulty of living with allergies and the resources that the organization can help with.

What did you teach your classmates? 
During my presentation, I taught my classmates about the common food allergens, explained how many people in Canada are affected by food allergies, and demonstrated how to use an EpiPen® in case of an anaphylactic reaction.

One message for other kids: 
Living with food allergies is hard and challenging. If you meet a kid with an allergy, please be nice, don’t tease them and try to help if you can. A simple way to help is to ask a friend who comes over if they have any food allergies.

Adam C., grade 6 

What made you choose Food Allergy Canada?  
I chose it because I have an allergy to tree nuts and I liked that you help people with allergies.  

What did you teach your classmates about food allergy?  
I taught them about Food Allergy Canada and your achievements, I explained about different types of allergies, and we talked about how to keep other students with allergy safe and how to help them in case of an allergic reaction. I also showed them how to use an EpiPen^® trainer and created a model to show them how the throat can tighten during an anaphylaxis reaction.

Shael B., grade 5

What made you choose Food Allergy Canada? 
I chose Food Allergy Canada because my sister has many food allergies, and I realize how hard it is to live with allergies because I see it in my everyday life. 

What did you teach your classmates about food allergy?  
I taught my classmates about Food Allergy Canada’s mission, how the charity started and I also showed some of the most common food allergies and symptoms on my poster board. I finally discussed the importance of the EpiPen^® and knowing how to use it in cases of an anaphylactic emergency. 

One message for other kids:  
Living with food allergies is a very serious and potentially life-threatening condition, and the more awareness we can spread, the bigger the impact we can have on bettering the lives of people who have food allergies. 

Nicholas B., grade 5

What made you choose Food Allergy Canada?      
Nick chose Food Allergy Canada because he has a number of friends with food allergies. Nick has allergies to hornets, yellow jackets and wasps and he has experienced anaphylaxis and this makes him sympathetic to his friends with food allergies.  

What did you teach your classmates about food allergy?  
Nick primarily talked about the most common food allergies but also briefly talked about how to raise money for Food Allergy Canada. 

One message for other kids:  
Be careful what you eat and check your food depending on your allergy.  

Eliana, grade 4

What made you choose Food Allergy Canada? 
I chose Food Allergy Canada for my Project Give Back because I wanted to choose a meaningful charity to me. There are a few people in my family who have allergies and I wanted to spread awareness about it.  

What did you teach your classmates about food allergy? 
I taught my classmates not to be unkind to people with allergies. Through my research, I learned that 1-in-13 people have allergies and some kids are bullied because of it.

One message for other kids:  
Be careful not to share food with others because you never know if someone could be allergic to something or not.  

Did you end up doing a fundraiser?
To help teach my class about Food Allergy Canada, I created a FUNraiser! I set up an obstacle course in our classroom with stations representing different common food allergens like milk, eggs, peanuts, and wheat. At each station, the students had to jump over the “food” to get through the course. This activity helped them understand how challenging it can be to navigate the world with food allergies. 

Thanks to this group of amazing students for educating your classmates and others, and raising food allergy awareness at your schools. You are #FoodAllergyChampions!