After studying economy in Mrs. Cordova's fourth grade class, students decided to form a non-profit company to raise money for charities. They named the company HAP - Helping All People. Throughout the year, they worked together organizing, preparing, and working bake sales. They managed money, sent e-mails, and researched possible charities to help. With the contribution of the elementary students and faculty, they raised more than $1,000!
Inspired by their studies of water, the decided to use the HAP money to purchase a cistern for the community school of Arenal, a town in the Dominican Republic with very limited resources. In a joint effort, with a student-led group that was headed to help the town school, the tank was installed and the school now has a safe and reliable water source for years to come.
Inspired by their studies on migration, HAP decided to donate the rest of the money to Rabito Kontento (http://rabitokontento.org/), a non-profit organization that rescues, rehabilitates, relocates, and cares for the stray dogs on our island. Our own head of security, Sammy Rodriguez is very involved with the organization. Sammy helped us by purchasing and donating the special food some of their dogs need. The rest of the money was put in a fund for the organization to assist in spaying/neutering, vaccinating and treating medically injured and ailing dogs, so that they can be prepared for adoption, either locally or abroad. This was great learning experience for all and a truly rewarding experience for our students.