In response to the March 11 earthquake that struck Sendai, Japan, Students Rebuild partnered with DoSomething.org, to ensure students worldwide have a way to support their Japanese peers. Second grade students in our class and third graders in Mrs. Heinz's class at Orchard School found out about the program through UVM's Asian Studies Outreach Program. Mrs. Heinz and Mrs. Gurwicz had traveled extensively throughout Japan during the summer with ASOP's Institute on Japan and felt a real connection. Our classes were actively engaged in studies of Japan, making global community connections. Of course, we all felt compelled to do something to help.
In addition to our Food and Craft Parent Share where we raised $323.61 to donate to Red Cross, the teachers put the word out to all of their colleagues in the South Burlington District schools. Several people, from each elementary school to South Burlington High School's math classes, contributed to the cause. Together, students from the district have donated 2,319 cranes to Students Rebuild.
Our classes have been engaged in many math opportunities involving the impressive collection of cranes. We figured out that the donation amounts to $4,638 for the cranes!!!! You see, these simple yet powerful gestures will trigger a $200,000 donation from the Bezos Family Foundation - $2 for each crane received - to Architecture for Humanity's reconstruction efforts in Japan. Once the goal of 100,000 submissions is met, the cranes will be woven into an art installation - a symbolic gift from students around the globe to Japanese youth.
Our classes want to say thank you to all of the people who helped make this donation a reality. We are aware that there are other Japan Disaster Relief Fundraisers happening because of the teachers', students' and parents' efforts throughout the South Burlington School District. For this, we are most grateful.