Solar panels have been installed at the 52 Kids dormitory thanks to the fundraising efforts of the students at Charlotte Central School in Vermont. Over the past year, three classes of students have been involved in a global studies project. Groups of students researched different aspects of Uganda. One class raised money by going on a “Future Walk” where they obtained sponsors for the miles they hiked. The current 5th and 6th grade at CCS spent the past four months participating in our “Leading by Reading” challenge. Students set a reading goal and then obtained sponsors for each page read. Many students were sponsored at a penny a page, which sounds small, but this really added up. Students read 281,000 pages and raised a total of $5200.! The solar panels will help the students at the dorm have reliable power so they will have light to study and do homework. The solar panels will also generate the power for the Internet café. Even more important than the money raised however, are the relationships the students are building. Through regular Skype sessions, students have been learning about each others’ cultures. They discuss weather, politics, music, and career plans. We look forward to other schools across the country taking on our “Leading by Reading” or “Future Walk” challenges. These service projects allow students to connect with another culture and to make a difference in the education and future of the orphaned and vulnerable children in Uganda.
