'Wombat Warblers' - St Patrick's Primary School, Nanango

Seven thousand people took action over the Be More Weekend 2009 but the ‘Wombat Warblers’ of St Patrick's Primary School Nanango have the distinction of literally stopping traffic.

To stand in solidarity with the children of Uganda, who can walk as far as six kilometres for water, the ‘warblers’ walked from noon on Saturday 8 August till 6pm, starting again at 6am on the Sunday and finishing at midday. This is an example of what Mr Mulachy calls ‘experiential learning,’ a genuine hands-on approach to Development education.

As students and their teacher collectively clocked up 498km (which is further than Sydney to Tamworth!), cars stopped at the side of the road to donate money to the students. Such spontaneous donations helped the ‘warblers’ to raise over $2,500.

Parramatta diocesan youth camp

80 young people participated in a Global Reality Meal, at the Parramatta Diocesan Youth Camp for last year’s Be More Weekend. People chose a random ticket, which allocated them to represent the elite 15% high income group, the 30% of middle income people, or the remaining majority of people in the low income group.

One participant explained, "The Be More lunch activity allowed me to visualise the gravity of poverty in this modern world, and just how many people (proportionally) are subject to a life without the basic necessities.”

Bendigo Catholic College, Bendigo

The Catholic College Bendigo tackled the Be More Weekend from all of its three pillars: Be Just, Be Green, Be More!

Over 75 students and staff returned to school after hours on Thursday to experience ‘sleeping out’ on a school night in solidarity with the homeless. The following day, after not having a shower, students focused on Be(ing) Green by planting trees around the school grounds – recognising our role as stewards of the Earth as well as our impact on our local and our neighbours’ environments.

Students and staff then cooked each other a bacon and eggs breakfast, donated by local businesses, with the excess sold to other students arriving at school. The group raised $370 for charity!

Feel inspired?

Register for Caritas Australia's Be More Weekend 2010 to see how your community can Be Just, Be Green, Be More!