LIMA — New Lima Central Catholic principal Stephanie Williams is looking to get the new school year started with a bang by getting students more involved with the community.
As part of theology class at the school, the book “Starting Something That Matters” by Blake Mycoskie has been put on the required reading list.
The book is Mycoskie’s mission to prove people can achieve financial success and help others at the same time. In the book, Mycoskie shares principals that have guided the growth of his business and helped people. While traveling in Argentina in 2006, Mycoksie encountered many poor children who could not afford shoes. He founded Toms Shoes, which gives a pair of shoes to a needy person with every pair that is bought.
Williams said that staff members read the book over the summer and have came up with some ideas. However, as the children finish the book later during the school year, what project the school decides to do will ultimately be on their shoulders.
“We want to see what the kids’ ideas are,” Williams said. “We want them to take some ownership and responsibility. Maybe they will pick a charity, and we will devote our efforts to that charity.”
Williams said the book was written five years ago. She said some had been critical of it, saying it was making some people depend on new shoes. So Mycoskie has continued to analyze and reform his plan. He now has people in poor countries design the shoes.
“It is an idea to learn that maybe you need to adjust things,” Williams said.
School board members at LCC now are also reading the book. Williams said it is a “quick read” and that they are excited to see what ideas students come up with. The school has even changed its uniform policy, now allowing the Toms canvas shoes as part of the approved school outfit.
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