Change For Change

How old do you have to be to change the world?

Miss Fischer’s sixth-grade classroom at Fontenelle Elementary School has decided to take on this challenge by completing one act of kindness at a time. The Partnership For Our Kids would like to recognize these outstanding students for being leaders of change!

It began as a simple World Studies lesson. Fontenelle sixth-grade teacher, Anna Fischer wanted to motivate her students to begin thinking about the world outside of themselves. “I created a presentation about atrocities that have taken place around the world, due to hate,” says Fischer. After showing her students the presentation, the students began to brainstorm ideas of how they could help start making a difference.

As a class, Fischer and her students decided the first step of their plan for change would be to collect money for charity. They started by putting the $50 check they had earned for achieving their second quarter Winners Circle goals into a donation fund. “Other people need it more than we do,” says Fontenelle sixth-grader, Aleeah about their decision to donate the money.

Fischer’s students reached out to other classrooms, challenging them to join their fundraising efforts through their own classroom collections. “The original goal was to double the $50 check,” explains Fischer. “We currently have almost $400 and we are still raising money.” She adds that her students have even inspired her to do more.

She reveals that when one of her students brought in $40 donation from her own money, it really struck a chord in her. “A sixth-grader giving that amount of money away to charity reminded me that I need to have a more giving heart,” she says.

In addition to collecting money, Fischer’s students have also been working to promote more change by doing good works in the community. At a service trip to the Open Door Mission, a student from another school asked Fischer why she and her students were helping that day. “My students chose to come here,” Fischer explained. “Instead of doing what else?,” the student asked. “Instead of having a pizza party,” replied one of Fischer’s students, matter-of-factly. “I was so proud of them,” Fisher says.