One of our teachers and two of our students have been offered an amazing opportunity to travel to DC this summer. However, just a week before the trip, the One Million Bones organization which had given them scholarships for the trip announced that they are having trouble coming up with the funding. We believe that opportunities like this are transformational for students and we are committed to finding a way to get them on the plane. However, as you can imagine, with only a month left to go in the fiscal year, we don't have a lot of wiggle room for unexpected expenses like this.
Below is an email from our teacher, Kara Dorsey, describing the program and the trip. Please consider helping us out if you can. Every little bit helps!
Thanks so much,
Help our students go to DC!
One Million Bones is a national project designed to raise awareness of the atrocities of genocide occurring in many African countries. This semester my class participated in the program while studying the effects of hate and violence in New Orleans and beyond.
While I knew many of my students would be interested in the project because of the hands on aspect of making clay bones, I was surprised by the reflection, thoughtfulness, and interest my students have shown not just in the concepts of violence and community but also in their role in building a less violent city and world. As a result of their dedication and determination to help create change, two of my students, Trey Johnson and Kelly Grimes, were chosen to assist with the National Installation of the bones in Washington, D.C. Kelly and Trey were two students who continually made thoughtful contributions to our conversations and really had a vested interest in the success of our project. This trip will be a phenomenal opportunity for them to see the impact of their work in class, to connect with other committed young people across the US, and to visit the country's capital.
What is exciting to me is that these students are not the typical students who are picked for such opportunities. They are students who struggle with a lot in and outside of school but they grew and developed a lot through this project. Attached is a copy of the speech that Trey wrote about the impact the project has had on him.
Currently, we are working to raise funds to cover the cost of their trip to Washington, D.C. Please consider making a donation at: http://thenetnola.org/donate.html
Thank you,
