Areyvut Archives
Check out September's Teen Scene!
Tuesday, September 01, 2009
Each month Areyvut will bring you the story of an ordinary teenager doing extraordinary things. Their stories are inspiring, their actions are great and their commitment is unparalleled.
Voice of the Children - 7th Graders at Milwaukee Jewish Day School (2008 - 2009)
The Milwaukee Jewish Day School 7th grade class helped build and run an actual charitable organization called Voice of the Children (Kol HaYeladim in Hebrew), which focuses on raising money and awareness for child welfare issues in Africa and Asia and for the underprivileged Jewish communities abroad. Student work included helping to build the Voice of the Children website, raising awareness of child welfare issues through group projects, fundraising and researching and selecting charities to receive distributions from their funds.
By August of 2009, the 7th graders had raised over $15,000. After a major research project featuring ten persuasive, oral presentations about ten excellent charities, the 7th graders voted to make significant distributions to Free the Children and Kulanu. The distribution to Free the Children will fund the construction of a school building in rural Kenya. The distribution to Kulanu will directly support the Jewish school of the Abayudaya Jewish community in Uganda.
The current class of 7th graders will continue to develop Voice of the Children, engaging in a more fully developed philanthropy education curriculum and focusing their fundraising and awareness efforts in Asia. The current 8th graders expect to remain informally involved in the project and to continue to raise money and support for causes in Africa. Read the article from the Milwaukee-Wisconsin Journal Sentinel.
At a Glance
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Age: 7th Grade Class School: Milwaukee Jewish Day School
Hometown: Milwaukee, Glendale, Whitefish Bay, Fox Point, Bayside and Mequon, WI
Year of mitzvah project: Dec. 2008 - Aug. 2009
Mitzvah project: Raised funds and awareness for projects focused on children in Kenya and Uganda.
Best thing about fundraising and volunteering: In just six months, thirty-four 7th graders raised enough money to build a school in Kenya and still had enough left over for a significant contribution to the Ugandan Jewish community. This feat teaches us the power of group tzedakah: we are much stronger - and can fo much more good - when we work together towards a common goal. the project was also a perfect example of MJDS students living the school's mission and core values.
Organization motto: "Listen. Learn. Act."
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