Mrs. Amanda Hawk, a fifth-grade teacher at Sunrise Estates Elementary School recently completed a reading lesson...as well as a life lesson. While reading the book A Long Walk to Water, the students learned about Salva Dut, a boy living in South Sudan and his story of survival. Salva Dut is known as one of the Lost Boys in Southern Sudan who walked thousands of miles to a refugee camp. The class decided to hold a fundraiser to support Salva's organization, Water for South Sudan, which is dedicated to providing clean drinking water in South Sudan.
The students brainstormed ways to raise money and set a goal of $1,000. They decided to hold a school-wide pajama and movie day, used the schools Twitter account to reach the outside community, and they also composed emails to ask their families to donate to the cause. The class exceeded its goal, raising $1,635 for the Water for South Sudan Foundation.