TEDxKids raise money for international peers
TEDxKids attendees took their service learning projects international this year. In exchange for attending TEDxKids @SMU free of charge, students are required to complete a service learning project. Two of this year’s groups designed projects that will impact thousands of other kids around the world.
Communities in Schools’ GEMS (Girls Exploring Math and Science) participated in a service learning project to raise money for water-borne illnesses in Haiti. The girls raised $1,816.29 for International Action’s Water for Haiti De-Worming Project. Water-borne illnesses are especially prevalent in Haiti, but each dose of a vital de-worming drug is only $.01. Through school-wide penny drives across several campuses in the Dallas area, GEMS students collected 181,629 pennies to provide 181,629 doses of medicine for children in Haiti.
Will Watson’s talk on the nonprofit Falling Whistles inspired students at St. John’s Episcopal School to create a school-wide awareness campaign about child soldiers and the war in the Congo. They spent the spring educating their classmates and parents about the Congo and raising money through the sale of whistles. The project culminated in a whistle-blowing ceremony for peace and the presentation of a check to Falling Whistles for over $5,000. Click here to read an article on the Falling Whistles campaign at St. John’s.
Thanks to all of the TEDxKids for their work in our community and on behalf of other kids around the world!