 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
 
|
Students from seven area elementary schools in the Columbus City and Worthington school districts are faced with an exciting challenge. They must decide how to help their community by giving away over 1.5 million pennies. This fall, nearly 3,000 students went door-to-door with their families, to connect with neighbors, raise money and help others. The students raised $15,114.16; nearly all of it in pennies or spare change. These students are the first in Columbus to participate in a year-long service learning program called the Penny Harvest. The Penny Harvest is the nation's largest youth philanthropy program and it is being introduced to Columbus by a local nonprofit, See Kids Dream. "As students progress through the program, they become empowered citizens, gaining understanding of issues, negotiating solutions and implementing the changes they want to see in their communities, said Laura Grindle, one of See Kid Dream's founders. "It allows them to connect classroom lessons to the real world." While the student's receive guidance from teacher volunteers, the driving principle of the program is that the students make all the decisions. Raising money is just the first step in the year long program. Over the winter, students will research needs, debate causes and decide how they can make the greatest impact in their community by issuing grants to give back every penny they collected. Polls and meetings will be conducted to ensure all students have a voice in the final decisions. The program concludes in the spring when students take action by awarding grants and participate in hands-on service projects. The Penny Harvest service-learning program started in New York City as one father's response to his four-yearold daughter's wish to comfort a homeless man in 1991. Teddy Gross's quest to provide a meaningful way for his daughter, Nora, to help that man, gave birth to a program that now provides all children a way to help. See Kids Dream was founded by Bill and Laura Grindle, parents of a preschooler and a 5th grade elementary student participating in the pilot. After learning about the success of the program in New York and its impact on students and local communities, the couple formed a board of directors which includes executives from Huntington Bank, Capital Square Limited, and Clearview Management Resources and filed articles of incorporation for their organization this fall. They hope the student's success and the support of local donors will enable them to expand to additional schools and districts next year. Every penny raised by the students is allocated back to the community by the students, so See Kids Dream's board members are pursuing grants, corporate sponsorships and individual gifts to fund the administration of the program. To learn more about See Kids Dream and how you can help bring the Penny Harvest to more schools and children, visit www.SeeKidsDream.org. Source: Columbus Parent |
||||||||||
 |
|||||||||||
|
Home | Contact Us | Site Map | Privacy Policy | Web Credits |
|
About Us
