It’s amazing how one exciting accomplishment can lead to an act of immeasurable kindness.
Last November, the Scotia-Glenville School District, in cooperation with the community, was chosen to make ornaments for the New York Christmas tree in Washington, D.C. The ornaments were then sold, with the money being used for a global cause that will help children in great need.
Elle Taubner, a teacher at Glendaal Elementary, said the project has been a pleasure from the start. Taubner, who initiated the ornaments project, said the students were so enthusiastic about making the ornaments that they ended up having hundreds of extras. She said a committee was formed to decide where the proceeds would go, and they felt giving to Free the Children, was a perfect way for the students to directly see the impact of generosity.
Our committee decided to reach out to a global organization. Our main criterion was to find one with a high percentage going directly to those is need. This organization gives almost 95 percent, which is phenomenal. It made the children feel empowered to be able to actually see where the help was going and to be able to make positive change, said Taubner.
A 12-year-old boy who was outraged after reading about child slavery founded Free the Children in 1995. The organization is now the world’s largest network of children helping children through education. More than one million young people have taken part in the program that has involved 45 counties, been nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize three times and has collaborated with the United Nations. The organization is youth-driven, making it a unique success.
`I am sure the students and residents of Scotia-Glenville are excited to see how great of an impact their contributions have made on communities overseas. The $1,020 raised will help to provide school lunches for a year to two different schools,` said director of communications for Free The Children Amy Schlein.
Schlein said that the two schools chosen by Scotia through the Adopt A Village Program are in Sierra Leone and in China.
Taubner said it is her hope that programs like this will help enable children to put a face to those in other parts of the world.
`When you can personalize and learn about those who are different from us, it helps to build tolerance. My wish is that our children learn to face the future with compassion, peace, and patience,` said Taubner.“