By David Dyck
The Peak: What does Schools Building Schools (SBS) do?
Mike Jackson, Schools Building Schools Director: SBS has two main goals, one overseas and one here in Canada. Overseas, we partner with existing vocational schools in Uganada in order to help them achieve their own goals. We do this by helping them fund infrastructural improvements. Building onto their classrooms and building onto their infrastructure to help them with vocational training. We also help with the process to build onto their residences and wells and other critical infrastructure. In Canada, we are focused on involving youth. One of the reasons the organization was created was to give youth and particularly university students practical hands-on experiences through event planning, fundraising, marketing, advertising, government relations. All that kind of stuff that you hear about in university and you’re working towards maybe having a career in but you would really love to get a taste of it before you get there, just to be able to provide a bit of practical knowledge to students.
P: When was it established?
SBS: The organization itself was founded in 2009, and its founders are still the president and the vice-president, Craig and Piper. They started the organization as masters students looking to make a difference. The first fundraiser actually happened in Ottawa in January 2010 and from there basically its activities moved out here with Craig when he moved out here to go to SFU.
P: What are some of SBS’s core values?
SBS: There’s a lot of different values we hold dear, but there’s five primary ones that we consider our mandate. It’s that our volunteers learn essential skills applicable to the real world, that education is a universal human right and that if are in a position something about it, we should. That education should be based on the local economy, basically in Uganda or any impoverished region we would potentially consider. Because what matters most in the developing world is earning a decent income. From the research we’ve done, making money to feed your family is the resounding important thing. That the trades are far too often overlooked, both in developing countries and in Canada. I personally am a tradesman, so that’s one thing I really believe in. It’s one big reason why I’m with SBS. Fifth, that accountability and transparency at all levels are critical, so having a real open relationship with critics, supporters, anyone that wants to be involved in any capacity. We really strive to get people involved, because that’s really what non-profits have to deal with, is issues of credibility.
P: What is the level of need for schools in Uganda?
SBS: As in all developing countries, there’s a need for education. The important facet we help with is, which is also one to grow the local economy, is vocational training. Vocational schools aren’t common. Most don’t receive government funding, most are in disrepair. Depending on the region, primary school is funded by the government, but there’s a real disparity between when you’re an adult and when you finish primary education. We see vocational training as being that avenue for young people, possibly at-risk youth, to have an outlet to make a living or to get trained or get some focus. What we mean by vocational schools, at least in Uganda, means like a BCIT. A school that not only focuses on carpentry or masonry, but also a focus on entrepreneurship, business development, accounting, computer operation. Things needed to get out into the working world.
P: Why Uganda? Will you grow and expand into the region?
SBS: You gotta start somewhere. In all the places that were visited and all the schools that were tested, this particular one in Uganda was chosen as the most suitable. Also because Canada has safety standards of developing regions and Uganda receives a fairly decent grade, and many others don’t. There’s always plans to grow and develop. If other people get involved, SBS will reach out into the region.
P: Why is it important for SFU to get involved?
SBS: We feel it’s important for SFU to get involved, from a practical education standpoint, the opportunities that SBS presents are definitely far reaching. There are clubs on campus that seek a practical goal, ours is another that truly has a global reach. And because we have received significant interest from the students of SFU. A lot of the research we did of the general feeling toward this type of subject at SFU. We did research into our centres of influence, we moved out into hallway chats and groups of students through presentations, basically through the recruiting process, not the levy process. This idea got bounced around a lot at the end of last spring. Through our petition process alone we received almost 2,000 signatures saying ‘yeah, this is a great idea’. In regards to trying a similar levy somewhere else [chuckles], we haven’t ruled it out doing it again, it’s not one we’re actively pursuing. If our affiliate partners wish to take such an action, it would be considered. We have another affiliate staring at McGill University, and if it’s something they look at this as a pilot project and are really interested in it, it would definitely be considered. A deliberation from our executive board would really have to take place to make sure it’s a suitable endeavor. Even for here, we had to we had to make sure the affiliate had the ability to pull it off, and that the level of involvement was high enough to create a suitable environment where we wouldn’t just be kicked off the school grounds.
P: As SBS grows, will volunteers be sufficient, or will it have to hire professional management?
SBS: The SFU chapter should most likely always be students. Our mandate is to provide experiences to student volunteers. We’ve been doing it 100 per cent volunteer to date, however, if there comes a time where we forsee a circumstance where we have to hire professional management for accounting and legal purposes, something of that nature, it could be a consideration. As per our constitution recognized by the Canadian government, we are mandated not to spend anything over 20 per cent of our budget on administration. That goes to say for the entire organization. Part of what we were talking about to the SFU community is that their levy won’t be used for administration. And we’re beholden to that. That’s one of the main things we wanted to get across.
P: The levy passed with 11 per cent voter turnout. What are your thoughts on that?
SBS: It sucked, man. Student politics, it’s funny. Coming into all this, there was a lot of contentious issues this year, and we weren’t exactly sure how that would play out. We experienced a ton of support. Yeah, it sucked, we were hoping for at least 20 per cent turn out, at least for our question. It’s really too bad. But hopefully through this process some of the students might wake up and start getting involved.
P: The United Way does collection at SFU without a levy. Should more charities be going this route?
SBS: It’s a very fine line to walk. From my opinion, charities should only look at doing the levy if they’re intimately connected within the community. And also that they believe that the students will connect with the cause and embrace the organization. It was and still is our hope that the current success and unfortunate subsequent notoriety will further propel students to asking questions and getting involved with SBS in whatever capacity.
P: Are there any plans to deal with continuity and volunteer turnover?
SBS: Yes. The way that the general donation scheme is presented to the organization, the organization has ultimate oversight about where any dollar goes. The organization itself has a number of people who have been working since its beginning. These are all members of our executive board or heavy contributors to our affiliates. We’re looking at doing and pretty far through the process of creating a board of governors with people that are contributors to the community, people of high character and high standards that can oversee and direct some of the actions of the organization. People such as lawyers or doctors, or even professors.
P: Do you have a goal for monies raised? When that goal is reached, what is the plan for the levy?
SBS: There is no set goal at this time because the levy operates under the purview of the student population. As such, it is up to the students to help direct where and for how long these funds are donated. This is a fact that the skeptics have minced or ignored since we started this initiative, I mean, it’s come up over and over and over again, what’s going to happen, blah blah blah blah, precedent, all that kind of stuff. We would very much like every student at SFU to get involved, period. This is a student run initiative. If students really want to direct the money to help provide vocational infrastructure in Somalia or the DRC, then so be it. This is student money. They should be, and are, afforded every opportunity to oversee its dispersement. If after a semester or three or 10 years they want to change how this works, it will be up to them to stand up and vote. Of course we’ll explore every avenue. If we have a petition brought to us of a good section of the student body, then of course. This is student money, this is the students chance to get involved and if they don’t want to be a part of it, it’s not our goal to keep them.
P: Rotunda groups (including The Peak) collect money on a levy, but are autonomous and are not subject to the same auditing process the SFSS is subject to. Nevertheless, Rotunda groups are subjected to an auditing process overseen by the SFSS. Are you subject to that same auditing?
SBS: Definitely. I’ve heard of that happening, not with the Rotunda groups, but actually the SFSS, and we were like, this is a great idea. We’re totally involved in this. As long as somebody wants to audit it, as long as they’re professional and not some 10-year-old going through all the books. Of course. We have nothing to hide. At any time, if the students feel it’s necessary, then by all means.
