A Hanover School Division Trustee says yesterday's We Day was about encouraging students to look beyond themselves and see needs elsewhere creating a culture of 'From Me to We'.

Sue Doerksen adds she was sitting behind a group of students from Blumenort School and it was incredible to watch them get excited about doing things for other people around the world. She says that includes seeing situations where people aren't getting clean drinking water, aren't able to go to school, where there's abuse or child labour and then seeing how they can make a difference in those areas.

There were guest speakers present including Henry Winkler,

Sue Doerksen and Henry Winkler at We Day. (Photo courtesy of Sue Doerksen)Spencer West and Marlee Matlin along with performers such as local singer-songwriter Robb Nash, Tyler Shaw and the Kenyan Boys Choir among many others.

Doerksen says Winkler impressed upon the students how powerful they are and that they can make a difference.

"I think my favourite part from what he talked about was he actually said as a child he had a lot of issues in school, he had a lot of trouble and he struggled," notes Doerksen. "He said that he was called a dumhundt which means dumb dog. That just impacted him so huge, but he knew that, that didn't define him. So when he grew up he knew that he was going to do soemthing big with his life, just just had a feeling. He had a feeling he should get into acting and that led him into other things where he runs all these children's charities, he and his wife have started all these children's charities now, and they just do incredible work in the world. He knew that he was going to make a difference, that he was able to make a difference and that he wasn't that dumb dog that he was called as a child."

Doerksen adds in our western culture there tends to be a 'me-focus' rather than an outward focus and says it was good to see the kids looking beyond themselves and seeing the needs elsewhere and wanting to help.