RandomKid is a nonprofit organization that helps kids help others in all sorts of ways. "The cool thing about RandomKid is that you're helping many different charities, AND you're helping the future philanthropists of tomorrow," says RandomKid's 12-year-old CEO Talia Leman.
We'll be posting random musings from kids who have helped others, kids who have received help, and the grown-ups who have witnessed the transformation in children as they experience great success in the charitable projects. Please check back.
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Monday, April 23, 2007
Kids Quenching the World's Thirst
By Dana Leman, RandomKid Director
The schools I am about to tell you are taking "reading, writing, and arithmetic" to a whole new stratosphere! Students are racing to get to their seats to solve real-world problems, teachers have found new purpose, and parents are digging in to help with kids' homework with gusto! They come from four different elementary schools from around the country. The students represent every race, major religion and socio-economic background. With pens behind their ears and business cards in their pockets, they launched a campaign to change the world by bringing water to water-stressed areas in Africa and Asia by selling a bottled water product they named and manufactured. 100% of the proceeds go to supporting technologies that can provide safe, clean water, especially to children. The school children wrote and illustrated a story and are speaking publicly about the water crisis in order to educate their peers and parents. They conducted market research, developed their distribution plan and their human resources to make it happen--all as a part of their instruction time. Through this project, students learn and demonstrate skills that help them meet their grade level standards and benchmarks, including addressing character development. The children, inspired and motivated, are turning in outstanding academic work. The schools hope to inspire a huge swelling of schools nationwide to join them in their efforts to help address the world’s water crisis. The fact is, 1.5 million kids under age 5 die from water related illnesses every year. These schools are changing that, and themselves, in the process.
I encourage all the students and teachers to post comments here about their experiences, or have your teacher send me an email with your story, and I'll post it to this blog. Thank you.
The schools I am about to tell you are taking "reading, writing, and arithmetic" to a whole new stratosphere! Students are racing to get to their seats to solve real-world problems, teachers have found new purpose, and parents are digging in to help with kids' homework with gusto! They come from four different elementary schools from around the country. The students represent every race, major religion and socio-economic background. With pens behind their ears and business cards in their pockets, they launched a campaign to change the world by bringing water to water-stressed areas in Africa and Asia by selling a bottled water product they named and manufactured. 100% of the proceeds go to supporting technologies that can provide safe, clean water, especially to children. The school children wrote and illustrated a story and are speaking publicly about the water crisis in order to educate their peers and parents. They conducted market research, developed their distribution plan and their human resources to make it happen--all as a part of their instruction time. Through this project, students learn and demonstrate skills that help them meet their grade level standards and benchmarks, including addressing character development. The children, inspired and motivated, are turning in outstanding academic work. The schools hope to inspire a huge swelling of schools nationwide to join them in their efforts to help address the world’s water crisis. The fact is, 1.5 million kids under age 5 die from water related illnesses every year. These schools are changing that, and themselves, in the process.
I encourage all the students and teachers to post comments here about their experiences, or have your teacher send me an email with your story, and I'll post it to this blog. Thank you.
Sunday, August 20, 2006
Anna Survived Katrina
Anna's Story: Anna and her family live less than a mile from the shores of Bay St. Louis, MISS. They planned on riding out the storm, until Sunday morning they heard that it had become a category 5. Anna was scared when she heard someone on the weather channel say, "There aren't enough body bags for what we're about to encounter."
Anna, Random Katrina-Survivor, age 17
Bay St. Louis, MS
Katrina. It was a shock. It was bad. It ruined my junior year.
Everyone knew it was out there, but I didn't worry about it--which is strange, because I'm usually freakin' out about that stuff.
On Friday an announcement was made in our school that due to the impending hurricane, we won't see you Monday, but we'll probably all see you back on Tuesday. I put my stuff in my locker--went on--not caring.
That night my mom and I went to Wal-Mart. We just wanted to get some items to prepare.
We usually ride out the storm... So we were just stocking up. When I saw the panic in other faces I said to my mom, "These people are crazy, they're freakin out over nothing."
Saturday was just a normal day--can't really remember many details.
Sunday at 6 or 7 am my best friend called. I answered the phone half-asleep. "Have you seen the weather channel. put it on now. It's a Cat 5 headed straight for us."
When I heard "Cat 5" I jolted awake.
"Anna get outta bed now--wake up your parents, you need to evacuate."
I ran in to wake up my parents. "It's a category 5!" We live not even a mile from the beach. I packed three days worth of clothes. When I heard the weatherman say "we don't have enough body bags for this," I didn't bother packing anything else.
We evacuated to Panama City. What was normally a four hour trip, took twelve hours instead.
When the storm was over, it took a long time to find out about Bay St.Louis--because nobody could get in or out. Hwy 90, Bay Bridge knocked out, interstate covered with trees, or underwater, or demolished.
I'll never forget sitting in the hotel room in Panama City watching TV. I saw the church and it looked okay. My school was still there... so I assumed my house was okay because it was further back from the shore.
Two to three weeks after the storm my dad, uncle and aunt went ahead to see the house.
Every board on window and doors were still there, so I thought it was fine, but you open the door, it's a whole 'nother story - 8 feet of water had filled the house-- everything was everywhere-- mud everywhere, black mold, smell of death, there's a Katrina smell around the city. Even now. It's horrible.
There was a hole in the living room wall where the water rushed in.
The garage was a mess. Two of our pets died and two made it.
Including my favorite little dog... We found her cowering under the car--a shitzhu.
As I took it all in... I can't really describe how it felt. I didn't cry. I was in shock. I still am in shock. We will be forever.
What popped in my mind was this: "When can we start rebuilding?"
I didn't want to be in Panama City or Hattiesburg, I wanted to be home! I still don't think I've totally grasped what happened I've handled it well, I don't know why--because I don't usually handle change well.
I was out of school for 2 months. We didn't start back up until November first. We stayed in Panama City for 2 wks then Fort Walton, then Hattisburg 2-3 wks, I felt like if I went to another school it would be like saying I don't love my school. We almost signed up for another school, but I just couldn't do it.
A FEMA trailer sat in front of our house from October until late June. We moved in to the fixed house on my birthday. It was a pretty nice present! The house is so much better than what it was before. But it's not the same--it feels like I'm borrowing someone's house. I have some stuff that i was able to salvage from the storm, but half of it i can't even bring in the house because of the mold which once covered it.
I've met some really great people.
Before the storm I kept to myself. I waited for people to come to me. I hardly ever started a conversation. Now that's all I want to do. I want to go up and meet them. A lot of them are my age. It's really cool--I mean, why would you want to leave on your break to come here? Half of these people have.
People really care about you.
Just as I wrote that, I saw a shooting star.
Anna, Random Katrina-Survivor, age 17
Bay St. Louis, MS
Katrina. It was a shock. It was bad. It ruined my junior year.
Everyone knew it was out there, but I didn't worry about it--which is strange, because I'm usually freakin' out about that stuff.
On Friday an announcement was made in our school that due to the impending hurricane, we won't see you Monday, but we'll probably all see you back on Tuesday. I put my stuff in my locker--went on--not caring.
That night my mom and I went to Wal-Mart. We just wanted to get some items to prepare.
We usually ride out the storm... So we were just stocking up. When I saw the panic in other faces I said to my mom, "These people are crazy, they're freakin out over nothing."
Saturday was just a normal day--can't really remember many details.
Sunday at 6 or 7 am my best friend called. I answered the phone half-asleep. "Have you seen the weather channel. put it on now. It's a Cat 5 headed straight for us."
When I heard "Cat 5" I jolted awake.
"Anna get outta bed now--wake up your parents, you need to evacuate."
I ran in to wake up my parents. "It's a category 5!" We live not even a mile from the beach. I packed three days worth of clothes. When I heard the weatherman say "we don't have enough body bags for this," I didn't bother packing anything else.
We evacuated to Panama City. What was normally a four hour trip, took twelve hours instead.
When the storm was over, it took a long time to find out about Bay St.Louis--because nobody could get in or out. Hwy 90, Bay Bridge knocked out, interstate covered with trees, or underwater, or demolished.
I'll never forget sitting in the hotel room in Panama City watching TV. I saw the church and it looked okay. My school was still there... so I assumed my house was okay because it was further back from the shore.
Two to three weeks after the storm my dad, uncle and aunt went ahead to see the house.
Every board on window and doors were still there, so I thought it was fine, but you open the door, it's a whole 'nother story - 8 feet of water had filled the house-- everything was everywhere-- mud everywhere, black mold, smell of death, there's a Katrina smell around the city. Even now. It's horrible.
There was a hole in the living room wall where the water rushed in.
The garage was a mess. Two of our pets died and two made it.
Including my favorite little dog... We found her cowering under the car--a shitzhu.
As I took it all in... I can't really describe how it felt. I didn't cry. I was in shock. I still am in shock. We will be forever.
What popped in my mind was this: "When can we start rebuilding?"
I didn't want to be in Panama City or Hattiesburg, I wanted to be home! I still don't think I've totally grasped what happened I've handled it well, I don't know why--because I don't usually handle change well.
I was out of school for 2 months. We didn't start back up until November first. We stayed in Panama City for 2 wks then Fort Walton, then Hattisburg 2-3 wks, I felt like if I went to another school it would be like saying I don't love my school. We almost signed up for another school, but I just couldn't do it.
A FEMA trailer sat in front of our house from October until late June. We moved in to the fixed house on my birthday. It was a pretty nice present! The house is so much better than what it was before. But it's not the same--it feels like I'm borrowing someone's house. I have some stuff that i was able to salvage from the storm, but half of it i can't even bring in the house because of the mold which once covered it.
I've met some really great people.
Before the storm I kept to myself. I waited for people to come to me. I hardly ever started a conversation. Now that's all I want to do. I want to go up and meet them. A lot of them are my age. It's really cool--I mean, why would you want to leave on your break to come here? Half of these people have.
People really care about you.
Just as I wrote that, I saw a shooting star.
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