How your $25 could change someone’s life
In August SHARE Charlotte will continue looking at the recent findings of the Opportunity Task Force by exploring the nonprofits invested in creating networking, growth and mentorship opportunities for kids and teens. Follow this discussion on social media: #WhoWeKnow
These days $25 may not seem to go very far. It might get you four meals at Chick-Fil-A, 3/4 of a tank of gas, two movie tickets or a round for you and three friends at a local brewery.
But what if we told you that $25 could change the course of someone’s life? Yes, it sounds pretty heavy and like the opening to some cheesy movie, but we’re serious. There are a number of local organizations that will take your $25 and put someone on a path to success.
For $25, you can:
Pay for STEAM education for a student
Digi-Bridge wants to bring technology to everyone to ensure that all 21st century learners have opportunities to succeed in the digital age. At Digi-Bridge, $25 covers registration for a scholar for a 90-minute #STEAMSaturdays course (STEAM stands for science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics). It will also cover a daddy/daughter duo for their Daddy Daughter Code-In. One is coming up on Sept. 9. Donate $25 to Digi-Bridge.
Provide transportation for future civic leaders
GenerationNation connects classroom education with hands-on learning to build civic literacy and leadership from an early age. Students learn how their governments and communities work, about the key issues and different points of view, and build knowledge and experience to make a difference as a new generation of informed, engaged leaders. We need this next generation of civic leaders! At GenerationNation, $25 provides bus and/or light rail passes for one high school student to participate in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Youth Council activities for an entire semester. Donate $25 to GenerationNation.
Produce college prep materials
Latin Americans Working for Achievement’s (LAWA) ultimate goals are to close achievement gaps, improve Latino student’s high school graduation rates, and increase the number that go on to receive higher education degrees. Your $25 will go a long way at LAWA. This sum will buy an SAT/ACT prep book, printed applications for Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FASFA) or other scholarships, and some school supplies for a student attending the organization’s High School Series college readiness workshop. For students enrolled in Padres y Padrinos, LAWA’s elementary ESL tutoring program, $25 could mean a new backpack and a children’s Spanish-to-English dictionary. Donate $25 to Latin Americans Working for Achievement.
Pay for a private music lesson
Do you love music? Community School of the Arts transform lives and inspires community through outstanding and accessible arts education. At Community School of the Arts, $25 provides one private music lesson for a student. Donate $25 to Community School of the Arts.
Support literacy tutors
Reading Partners empowers students to succeed in reading and in life by recruiting and training community volunteers to provide one-on-one literacy tutoring. At Reading Partners, if you get a friend and each contribute $25 (read: $50), you can fund onboarding and training for a group of new volunteer tutors. Want to go bigger? $100 will provide books for 20 students to take home to keep. Donate $50 to Reading Partners Charlotte.
Pay for math games
Math is a struggle for many students and Heart Math Tutoring is working to instill a love of the subject in Charlotte’s students. The organization recruits and supports volunteers as one-on-one tutors in high-poverty CMS elementary schools during the school day. At Heart Math, $25 will provide five students with a take-home bag of math games! If you double up, $50 will provide all tutoring materials for one student for the year. Donate $25 to Heart Math Tutoring.
Photos courtesy Digi-Bridge, LAWA, Community School of the Arts, Heart Math Tutoring
This story was originally published August 23, 2017 at 11:00 PM with the headline "How your $25 could change someone’s life."