May 20, 2021
In conjunction with their human rights research paper in social studies class, eighth graders researched charities aligning with a chosen human rights issue in their English classes using Charity Navigator and their charity’s website. Then, combining the rhetorical appeals of ethos, pathos, and logos, they created a TED Talk, speech, video, or print ad to persuade their peers to vote for their charity. Each of the three winners, Alex B., on behalf of The Sierra Club Foundation, Steve L. on behalf of Save the Children, and Zoya N. on behalf of Equal Justice USA, won a $50 donation to their charity from Ms. Atchison.
“Climate change affects everything in our lives, and will only get worse from now on,” says Alex. “The Sierra Club Foundation is a leading member in the fight to solve climate change and make life better for everyone. They work towards climate solutions and they fight for environmental and social justice.” 86.9% of all donations go to directly to helping the Sierra Club’s four main programs: lands, air, water and wildlife!
The $50 donation to Steve’s charity Save The Children will provide meals to three children for an entire month. “What if every time you ate, you had to roll the dice to see if you were or not? Save The Children fights for the safety and future of the most unfortunate kids and gives every child, even the ones hardest to reach, voices,” says Steve.
Equal Justice USA fights for meaningful change and works at the intersection of criminal justice, public health and racial justice. “It’s insufferable that after so many years following the abolishment of slavery, systemic racism still thrives in our institutions and on our streets,” says Zoya. “All of us have heard case after case of police brutality, especially as Minnesotans. EJ USA meets the needs of survivors, advances racial equity, and works to abolish police brutality.”
