This summer two Philadelphia public high schools, Hill Freedman World Academy and Parkway NW High School for Peace and Social Justice, are partnering with the Global Classroom Project which empowers teens to earn an international service and immersion trip abroad while providing opportunities to give back locally and internationally. Through this partnership 10 students and two teachers will travel to and live in Barrio San Rafael in Turrialba, Costa
Rica. We will live with local families, complete a
service-learning project, and participate in excursions to immerse ourselves in Tico culture.
This is more than just a trip. This experience is teaching us to see the world differently. We are focusing on how we can use our unique talents to make the world a better place. We have learned so far, it starts by building community.
This past year we have been hard at work creating ethical "micro-business", participating in community service, and fundraising through the idea that The Give is the Get. We aim to give back to others through our fundraising efforts and service. For example, we have been dubbed the Gardening Angels for our raking, clean-up and seasonal yard work. One student's chocolate covered pretzel business, Power Rods, intends to address hunger issues and do right by the community by investing time, energy and effort into service learning. Another student is promoting his Kids in Sports Stay Out of Courts campaign.
We have learned about Fair Trade through our coffee and chocolate sales, micro lending through our loans on Kiva.org, and real world entrepreneurial skills in workshops, at craft fairs, and through trial and error with our own endeavors.
Risks & Challenges
We have faced obstacles along the way. Not all of our businesses got off the ground, some events had small numbers turn out, and juggling school and our hard work is a crash course in scheduling.
However, we have pulled together as a team to meet these challenges. One of the biggest challenges that we are facing right now is the movement of our trip from the end of August to June. We have step up our fundraising but we want to ensure that ALL team members will be covered and not miss out on this amazing opportunity. Not every student has a huge network, no matter how hard she works.
We can become that network. So we are currently asking you our community of friends and family for financial sponsorship to help raise cost of the trip. I fundraising goal is $7,000. We understand that not everyone can contribute but you can still help by getting the word out and making some noise about our campaign!
Share this link. Call out your friends.
What We Need & What You Get
Break down: Total Cost of 2 teachers and 10 students $27,500
Current: Almost $20,000
Fundraising goal: $7,500
Students will travel to the small mountain barrio in Turrialba, Costa Rica. Once there, students will live with Costa Rican families, work on a service project identified by the Tico community, and be immersed in a culture far removed from their own Philadelphia neighborhood. We take our students there because we believe that through service, immersion, and exchange students broaden their minds--and it is such minds that are limitless and innovative.
We need $2500 per student...let's break it down:
$15 funds one day of service (supplies needed to renovate an elementary school!)
$35 funds one day of meals in Costa Rica
$100 funds a day homestay with a Tico family
$165 funds full day in Costa Rica
But really, ANY dollar amount would be HOORAYED AND CHEERED!
The Impact
You donation is critical and your impact is exponential:
- Earning the trip is key. Anything worth doing ... is worth working for.
- The service and immersion trip is a feather in students' caps for "college readiness". But we call this process, "Life readiness". Dream. Plan. Do.
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Seven trips have brought over 50 students abroad with 2/3 of them traveling again, 2/3 doing increased service locally and abroad, and multiple International Studies majors in college.
- Less than 50% of Americans have passports, 100% of the GCP students have passports and can now see the world differently.
- Traveling and service stay with students impacting their life's trajectory increasing probability for high school graduation, attendance in college, and ability to gain employment. It puts education in context
- Most of all, increased happiness, empathy, and agency.