Pennies Adding Up To Peace
The staff and students of Robert R. Lazar Middle School are known for putting their all into a worthy cause and with that spirit, spent parts of this past academic year collecting pennies to build schools. This spring, the effort was recognized by the Pennies for Peace Foundation.
The motivating force behind Lazar’s endeavor was the fact that it hits somewhat close to home. Not only does the Foundation seek to provide a better education for children, in this case the residents of impoverished villages in Pakistan and Afghanistan, but also its founder, best-selling author Greg Mortenson, has visited the school and made a personal connection with all those who attend and work at Lazar.
The author of “Three Cups of Tea” visited Lazar in January 2009 and told the students about the extremely poor conditions of makeshift schools in the villages and that even a small amount of money can bring about big changes.
In true Lazar fashion, Mortenson’s words did not go in one ear and out the other, but resonated with staff and students alike. The start of this school year brought the implementation of Lazar’s Pennies for Peace campaign.
And those pennies do mean a lot.
According to a press release, “One penny equals a pencil; two-three pennies equal an eraser; five pennies equal one notebook; $20 equals one child’s school supplies for one year; $50 equals one treadle sewing machine and supplies; $100 equals maternal healthcare supplies for one year; $300 equals one advanced student’s annual scholarship; $600 equals one teacher’s annual salary; $5,000 equals support for existing school for one year; and $50,000 equals one school building and support for up to five years.”
As noted in the press release and by Mortenson during his talk, one penny for a pencil is the start of a child’s educational process, which “can transform a life.”
It impacts not only the one life, but also the world. Consider this remark which was included in the press release: “In a region where terrorist organizations recruit uneducated, illiterate children, that pencil can empower a child to read, write, and learn. The Pennies for Peace program goal is to encourage children, who are ultimately our future leaders, to learn the value of philanthropy by collecting pennies for global peace.”
If one penny alone can be the start of an amazing transformation, than imagine the possibilities of the $1,400 the Lazar students raised. They did so by collecting change at lunch periods and money from a Faculty Dress-Down Day. It should be noted that in January, the campaign was suspended for a while so that the school could concentrate on raising money for Haiti.
Even with the shortened campaign, Lazar’s Pennies for Peace co-chair, Cheryl Zanone, was given a Plaque of Appreciation from Mortenson and the Pennies for Peace Foundation, which was presented by interim Montville Township Superintendent Rita Seipp at the April 13 Board of Education meeting.
Zanone’s efforts were not limited to Lazar. Last fall, the science teacher, gave a presentation on the school’s campaign to the Diversity Council of Kean University. The group comprises many local schools that want to educate students about issues relating to a diverse population.
Zanone reported, “As a result of that, I have received news that another school undertook a major fundraising Pennies for Peace campaign which raised over $25,000 to benefit Mortenson’s Central Asia Institute. I am so proud that Lazar’s brief fundraising effort was able to amplify its efforts by spreading the word to such a globally connected group.”
Explaining why Mortenson’s efforts hit such a strong chord with her, Zanone said, “I, personally, was touched by the impact that Mortenson has been able to make in a region of the world that is ordinarily inhospitable to Americans. He slowed down and listened to the villagers. He learned not to impose his own ideas on them, instead resonating with their culture and making each new school village equal partners in the enterprise. I was touched by his mission to bring education to area villages that have previously been unable to get support from their own governments.
“The villages invite Mortenson to arrange for the school. Since Mortenson develops relations with the community elders, the communities support the schools by matching funds and donating labor. I was touched that this humble man could muster support of the individual villages to build not just their own schools but schools that will educate their young women who ordinarily face great discrimination.”
Continuing, Zanone, said, “I appreciate how carefully Greg Mortenson chooses his words to support his positive actions. ‘If you fight terrorism, that’s based in fear. But if you promote peace, that’s based in hope. And the real enemy I think is ignorance. It’s ignorance that breeds hatred.’ All in all, this man has done something remarkable. He has learned how to work with and enhance the lives of people in our world who had no other opportunities to do so.”
Eighth-grade student Dana Lechleiter, who was part of the group of students collecting the pennies, offered this comment on the project, “During my lunch period, some friends and I went from lunch table to lunch table asking for money for Pennies for Peace. Ever since Mr. Mortenson came to our school last year and told us how girls our age and younger are unable to receive a good education due to a lack of money and [supplies], we felt it was our duty to help those girls. As children living in America, we don’t understand how lucky we are to go to school and come home to a nice house. Educating our students on how well we live really puts things in perspective and I believe that this is why it is important to help those Pakistani children.”
© 2010 North Jersey Media Group
http://www.northjersey.com/news/education/ele_mid_school/95388604_Pennies_adding_up_to_peace_.html
