carry-on with the news
As a foster sister, I noticed that most of the children that come to my home arrive with their belongings in a garbage bag or a cardboard box. They are already in a state of emotional turmoil having been taken away from their parents. Having been given a garbage bag to carry their few precious belongings makes a painful situation worse.
I started my project in the fall 2014 to collect fashionable, new suitcases, duffel bags and carry-ons for children in foster care. I believe having a new bag improves their self-esteem, lets them know they are important, loved and valued and their possessions are worthy of belonging in a new bag.
I do this by teaching a journalism course to grammar school students. Journalism is my passion and career goal, but my town did offer any journalism courses for children in grade school. I help the students make a kid-created insert for my town newspaper, The Glen Rock Gazette, which is delivered to 5,000 homes. For tuition for this course, I ask for suitcases.
I run the class like a real newsroom. I teach the students the importance of the first amendment, how to conduct interviews, how to write a proper non-biased news article, how to format a newspaper and more important lessons that go into making a newspaper.
I was one of fifty high school girls chosen by ANN Inc., the parent company of Ann Taylor and LOFT, to be an ANNpower Vital Voices Initiative Fellow. I was awarded a grant of $2,500 to continue my project through my senior year.
