The A Twist of Yarn team had so much fun working with the Ellison Elementary Division 13 class on Colours for a Cause. All the children created absolutely beautiful yarns, and we sold out of all of the fibre by noon! We are extremely thankful to those who donated and/or purchased yarn, all the kids were so excited to raise funds for Fouzia, and they had a blast dying the fibres.
The following article was written by Dan Osborn.
It’s been a busy year for Division 13, a Grade 4/5 class at Ellison Elementary led by teacher Dan Osborn.
From cupcake walks to student-run cafés, the class spent months working together to raise money for their year-end field trips. What began as a practical goal quickly turned into something much bigger.
Throughout the year, the class organized a variety of creative fundraisers. They kicked things off with a classroom “Cupcake Walk,” featuring homemade treats. Later, as part of Osborn’s annual February Soup Group project, students worked in teams to prepare simple, affordable meals—learning life skills like budgeting, food preparation, teamwork, and entrepreneurship. Each week, a team brought in ingredients and used them to make homemade vegetable noodle soup for the entire class in their classroom roaster oven.
That project evolved into two fully student-run “Room 149 Cafés,” where intermediate students could reserve a seat and be served soup, baguettes, fruit punch, and dessert—all for $4.00. From taking bookings, to decorating the classroom and transforming it into an elegant café, to preparing and serving the food, every student played a role.
“I was incredibly proud of the effort they put in,” says teacher Dan Osborn. “They came up with great ideas, worked together as a team, and gave up their own lunch hours. By the second café, they had everything running like clockwork—all as nine- and ten-year-olds!”
By early spring, the class had raised enough to cover bussing and a portion of their field trip costs.
Then everything changed.
From Fundraising to Giving
In April, the class began studying human rights and global citizenship in Social Studies. Students also explored global access to education and were especially moved by stories of young people like Malala Yousafzai advocating for girls’ right to learn.
As they compared their own lives to those of children in developing countries, the conversation shifted.
“I remember a student saying, ‘Let’s give them all our money!’” Osborn recalls.
What started as a discussion quickly became a decision.
The class chose to sponsor a child through Plan International Canada—selecting Fouzia, an 11-year-old girl living in a rural community in northern Cameroon, the home country of one of their classmates. It was a way to directly support access to education.
Students Take the Lead
Alongside sponsorship, the students chose to purchase a goat through Plan International’s “Gifts of Hope” program—helping provide both nutrition and income for a family.
To raise the additional funds needed, students spent April collecting bottles and cans at home, then sorting them together at school in preparation for a walking trip to the bottle depot.
Some students even took initiative on their own. Classmates Harly Eliason and Dotun Ayulonde set up a lemonade stand, proudly advertising that all proceeds would go toward sponsoring a child.
“I’ve been teaching for almost 25 years,” says Osborn, “and this is a very, very special class. What stands out most isn’t just what they’ve done—it’s why they’ve done it.”
A Community Steps In: “Colours for a Cause”
When Vernon business A Twist of Yarn heard about the project, they wanted to help.
To launch the “Colours for a Cause” project, owners Ryan and Camella Making brought their expertise—and supplies—into the classroom, donating 60 skeins of yarn and leading a hands-on workshop where students learned to dye their own yarn.
Each student designed two skeins, inspired by a chosen image or piece of artwork, and worked alongside the team to create vibrant, one-of-a-kind results.
The skeins are now being sold by donation (minimum $20), with all proceeds going toward supporting Fouzia and future fundraising efforts. To learn more, visit A Twist of Yarn’s Facebook page.
“The students’ work is stunning,” says Camella. Having spent a year in Africa in her twenties, she says the project felt especially meaningful. “But more than anything, seeing how excited they were to give—that was the most rewarding part.”
More Than a Fundraiser
For Osborn, what has stood out is how the project grew as students took initiative and put their learning into action.
“The students have baked cupcakes, made soup, waited tables, cleaned dishes, collected cans, run lemonade stands, and created something beautiful with their own hands,” he says. “But more importantly, they’ve given their time, their effort, and their hearts.”
As the school year winds down, Division 13 still has plans—including a “Freezie Walk” to help rebuild their field trip fund. But through their hands-on efforts, they’ve gained real-world learning and a spirit of giving—something few field trips could offer.
The students have seen that even at their age, they have the ability to make a meaningful difference in the lives of others.
“You don’t have to send money across the world to help people,” one student shared. “You can start by helping someone.”
And this year, that’s exactly what they’ve done.
Learn More
Plan International Canada - https://plancanada.ca/en-ca/
