Oprah’s Angel Network

O Ambassadors at Earl Wooster High School

Photo courtesy of Earl Wooster High School

As the O Ambassadors at Earl Wooster High School in Reno, Nevada learn about and raise money for Latin America this year, they’re also learning a lesson about the power of partnerships. In an effort to boost attendance at their events and increase the amount of money they could raise, the club decided to hold its key fundraisers at the same time as other school events. In February, the club hosted a spaghetti dinner on the same night as a school concert, attracting more than 1,000 guests. To prepare for the big event, students wrote to local businesses asking for donations and in turn received everything from supplies to baked goods, including 80 loaves of bread.

Photo courtesy of Earl Wooster High School

Photo courtesy of Earl Wooster High School

Photo courtesy of Earl Wooster High School

Photo courtesy of Earl Wooster High School

The O Ambassadors at Earl Wooster have held several big fundraisers this year. For a spaghetti dinner in February, club members prepared garlic bread ...

... and cooked up pots of noodles.

A car wash fundraiser held in March was a big success ...

... and so was the rummage sale held in early May.

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Braving the still-cool March weather, the club scheduled a car wash on the same day that a softball tournament was being held on the school campus. In early May, the club took part in a school-wide rummage sale, where students and parents donated everything from bikes and skis to books and clothes.

The club’s enterprising spirit has paid off. To date, the Earl Wooster O Ambassadors have raised nearly $2,500 to support development projects in Latin America.

Bringing Statistics to Life

At high schools across North America, countless extracurricular activities—from athletics to language clubs, band practice to afterschool jobs—compete for the attention of students. Despite these challenges, three educators at Wooster (Tracy Girdwood, John Nigro and Adriana Peachay) have worked hard to make O Ambassadors an engaging program for students.

Ms. Girdwood recalls that during a club meeting where poverty was the topic of discussion, she decided to display the Poverty.com* website on a monitor at the front of the room. According to the United Nations, approximately 25,000 people die every day (that’s about one person every 3.5 seconds) of hunger or hunger-related causes, and to represent those who have died, Poverty.com displays a photo (a computer composite) of a new face every few seconds. Ms. Girdwood recalls that many of the students had a hard time focusing on the discussion, as they kept turning to the monitor to study the faces as they came up. Seeing the faces made the statistic very real, she noted.

An O Ambassadors Club student participates in the "Vow of Silence" day.

Photo courtesy of Earl Wooster High School

Taking the Reigns

With the guidance of their club educators, the O Ambassadors at Wooster have taken the reigns at raising awareness about the issues of poverty, education, health and sustainable development throughout the school. In March, several club students took a “Vow of Silence” and committed to not speaking for an entire day. Instead of speaking, club members expressed themselves by making large posters that alerted fellow students to the prevalence of poverty in Latin America. When they were learning about the health conditions in Latin America, club members wrote various statistics on bandages and handed them out at school. The club also makes it a point to share information during the morning announcements, as well as fill the display cases at the school with facts and information.

From gaining the support of local businesses to spreading their message to fellow students, the O Ambassadors at Earl Wooster are learning just how much can be accomplished when people work together.

*Oprah’s Angel Network has no affiliation with and does not endorse Poverty.com. The hyperlink above is provided solely as a courtesy.