Primary Source

Students Organize Walkathon to Benefit Earthquake Victims in Japan

Last spring, middle school students at Community Day Charter School in Lawrence, Massachusetts, approached their teacher, Mike Neagle, with a desire to respond to the earthquake and tsunami in Japan. They wanted to do something to help children in Japan. This spark led to a student-led, school-wide initiative teaching young people about Japan and raising $4,500 for victims of the earthquake.

"One of the reasons this experience was so special for me is that in our entire K-8 school of 330 students, we only have three students who are Asian," said Mike, noting that the majority of students in the school are Latino. "Our students were really able to identify with children on the other side of the world, beginning in part through my blog activity from China."

Mike traveled to China on a Primary Source study tour in the summer of 2010. Inspired by a teacher he met through a Primary Source course, he kept a blog for his students documenting his experiences with Chinese culture and history. One day, Mike posted pictures of a chance encounter with the Harlem Globetrotters in Xi'an. "My students were blown away by the fact that the Globetrotters were in China. I had also brought a Red Sox shirt with me that my students wanted me to share with someone in China, and I posted a photo of myself giving the shirt to a Chinese student. My students loved this. For kids to see that on the other side of the world there are kids who are interested in basketball, who read some of the same books – it made learning about China real for them. All of a sudden, it’s not just faceless, nameless people thousands of miles away."

Mike's blog created a lot of interest in Asia among students at his school. After the earthquake in Japan, a group of students approached him to see how they could help. They decided on a two-part approach: a school-wide initiative where older students designed and taught lessons on Japan to 300 students in grades 1-8, and a walkathon to raise money for victims of the earthquake. Students led lessons in small groups, teaching their peers about what happened with the earthquake and tsunami, the basics of Japan's geography, and simple Japanese translations. The lessons were interdisciplinary and included math and writing components.

Mike and his students then hosted a "Walkathon for Japan," their most successful school fundraiser to date. "Over 300 students and staff participated and together we walked over 500 total miles and raised $4,500 for UNICEF, which was $2,000 more than our goal!" said Mike. "This was really special considering it was a student-generated effort. They took responsibility for educating peers about recent events in Japan, and our entire school community demonstrated compassion for children they will never meet."