Montessori Students Help After Typhoon Haiyan
Students from Riverstone Montessori Academy in Marietta, Georgia work relentlessly to help children affected by Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines.
After learning about Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines, the students of Riverstone Montessori Academy in Marietta, Georgia quickly mobilized to help the children affected. They launched a t-shirt sale to assist UNICEF’s relief efforts. Students took ownership of every step of the fundraising process – researching the typhoon, selecting UNICEF as their beneficiary, forming committees, launching a t-shirt design competition, and even choreographing a flash mob to raise awareness! Throughout the spring of 2014, the children at Riverstone never lost focus on the great need in the aftermath of the natural disaster.
A group of Riverstone students visited the U.S. Fund for UNICEF’s Southeast Regional Office in December to learn more about the organization and brainstorm fundraising strategies. They spoke with UNICEF Child Protection Specialist Cara Yar Khan about why they feel passionately about improving the lives of children around the world. Students left the visit so energized that they spent the car ride home writing a song about the Philippines to the tune of Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep.”
Riverstone Montessori’s hard work and dedication paid off. The group returned to the U.S. Fund for UNICEF Southeast Regional Office in early May to present a check for close to $6,000 – a donation that will go a long way to help rebuild the lives of children in areas devastated by the Typhoon.
The majority of fundraising for natural disasters happens within the first ninety days of a crisis, yet recovery is a long-term process. The students of Riverstone Montessori School provide an excellent example for all of us by keeping the Philippines in their hearts and minds long after the disaster struck.
