Basic High School Students Provide for Local Non-Profits
Henderson, NV (May 15, 2009) – A new program from The Public Education Foundation “We R Community” catapults high school students into the world of philanthropy by transforming them into donors. On May 13, 2009 Basic High School’s BEST Company and Introduction to Business class held a celebration to honor the non-profits they chose to fund with money. The beneficiaries were: St. Judes Ranch for Children, The Rape Crisis Center, and Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA.) The event was attended by students, representatives from all organizations, Leslie DeVore from The Public Education Foundation, and school administration. The mood of the event was joyous; both on the part of the organizations and students that they made such a difference in their community.
Students extend their classroom learning by operating much like a mini-foundation. After completing a school wide survey of the student population, students created a mission statement: “We, the students of Basic High School, are concerned about Teen Pregnancy, Rape/Date Rape, and Child Abuse. We hope to support non-profit organizations in the Henderson area. We will award funds to organizations that support these issues.” St. Judes Ranch for Children will be putting their $2,000 towards Residential Therapeutic Services for teen mothers. The Rape Crisis Center will put their $2,000 towards a Youth Empowerment Conference that will aim to educate and empower youth on the issues of sexual violence and healthy relationships. FBLA will use their $1,000 to help with research for premature and unhealthy babies. Students also volunteered in the following ways: they worked on the Pin Wheel Project for AHEC, walked in the March of Dimes Walk in April, and other various fundraisers for March of Dimes, they also completed a presentation to the 8th graders at Brown Junior High on what to expect when becoming a freshman at Basic, and they read to students at Robert Taylor elementary.
We R Community, is a grant-making and volunteerism program, that shows teens how they can make a positive difference in their community by providing them with $5,000 and giving them the power to decide which nonprofits to fund with the money. The $5,000 grant money comes from generous community and corporate sponsors and is to be used for programs that inspire change and encourage potential in education, the promotion of healthy families, access to the arts or environmental enhancement. Basic’s sponsor is The Susan Stern Family Foundation. Basic HS students are grateful for the real-life learning through philanthropy and volunteering. They have discovered that they can make a positive difference in their community by being involved! Thank you Susan Stern Family Foundation.
For information on the program, how to get involved or about sponsorship, please contact The Public Education Foundation.
About The Public Education Foundation
The Public Education Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to mobilizing community and global resources to meet the challenges of educating a growing and diverse Southern Nevada population. The Foundation’s programs and initiatives are designed to improve student performance and advance quality educational opportunities for all children. Since 1991, The Foundation has raised more than $55 million to improve teaching and learning in Southern Nevada’s public schools. For more information about the Foundation, go to www.thepef.org.
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The Public Education Foundation, 3360 W. Sahara Ave., Suite 160, Las Vegas, NV 89102, (702) 799-1042, www.thepef.org
CONTACT:
Terry Ertman
Basic High School
702-799-8000 (W) 702-271-3949 (C)
ttertman@interact.ccsd.net
