Big smiles, shrieks of delight, and other celebratory gestures. This is what our students were doing at 4:00pm on Thursday May 5th when they met their goal of raising $500 within the first 30 minutes of their Eastgate Supports Ukraine fundraiser. By 4:30pm, students doubled their initial goal, and by the time the sale ended at 5:30pm, the grand total was slightly over $1500. In donating this money to Save the Children, food, water and other essentials will be delivered to several families in Ukraine. 

The idea for Eastgate Supports Ukraine started with one student wondering out loud, “Ms. Crossman, are we going to do something to help Ukraine?” From there, students took the lead to plan and organize a fundraiser where they would sell handmade pins, bracelets, earrings, and more to raise money for Save the Children. 

 

In the process of preparing for their fundraiser, students collaborated as they learned how to…

• create a supplies list for the materials needed to create pins, bracelets, and earrings (using a spreadsheet and including quantity, price, and tax ), 
• present a proposal to the principal seeking a donation from the school to pay for the supplies needed to create their products, 
• create and package products, 
• create a variety of advertisements (posters, social media, video ads),  
• make a spreadsheet to track inventory and funds raised (using spreadsheets and formulas),  
• communicate in a sale situation in English and French, 
• present and display their products, 
• and much more!

When students identify an authentic need in their local, national, or global community and use their knowledge, understanding, and skills to make a plan to meet this need, they engage in service learning. With service learning being an important component of Eastgate Academy’s program, students have the unique opportunity to engage in important (local, global) issues while also developing open-mindedness, empathy, and a sense of responsibility. Learning in this way inspires students to take action and make a positive difference in the lives of others.

The hugs, shrieks of joy, and other celebratory gestures we saw at our Eastgate Supports Ukraine fundraiser were not just the result of meeting, doubling, and then tripling our fundraising goal. They were also the result of meaningful learning that inspired students and allowed them to experience a deep sense of ownership, empathy, and responsibility while taking action.