CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Twelve In Twelve has begun an initiative to connect youth to humanitarian efforts worldwide. It launched the program on Feb. 12 at Park Road Montessori School, 3701 Haven Dr.
Founder J.D. Lewis and board members Molly Barker (founder of Girls on the Run) and Tim Mikkelson (co-founder of MikWright cards), were on hand for the event.
The six pilot schools in the Queen City are Eastover Elementary School (500 Cherokee Rd.), Grand Oak Elementary School (15410 Stumptown Rd., Huntersville), North Mecklenburg High School (11201 Old Statesville Rd., Huntersville), Park Road Montessori, Northwest School of the Arts (1415 Beatties Ford Rd.) and Providence Day School (5800 Sardis Rd.). Others include schools in Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, and South Carolina.
“The program incorporates global education, an introduction to relief work throughout the world and engages children to work locally for the global good,” Lewis said. He added that Twelve Good Deeds teaches children the joy of giving, as well as incorporating global education, birds-eye view of relief work worldwide and empowers them to make a difference both locally and globally.
Student are tasked with committing themselves to obtaining a minimum of 12 sponsors to empower them in completing their work in 12 weeks. Sponsors pay $1 each for each good deed completed. Total cost per sponsor is $12.
The first of 11 of the good deeds are predetermined by the initiative’s list. The last one is developed the each student.
Participants receive an e-book through which they are able to follow the global journey of the Lewis family. Experiences involve how the Lewis’ helped to make a difference around the world, as well as connecting to those initiatives to round out the global program.
Projects will be made available to participants online on an interactive site. Progress will be posted and communication between participants is encouraged.
Lewis, who is gay, and his two sons, Jackson and Buck, spent 12 months traveling the world and participating in humanitarian service at various agencies during their travels. qnotes named the family our 2012 People of the Year for their commitment to social justice at home and abroad (goqnotes-launch2.newspackstaging.com/19884/).
info: twelveintwelve.org.
— L.M. and releases
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