School of Education hopes to raise $3,000 for UNICEF
Some students have personal ties to the organization.
Oct. 14, 2008
(Click graphic to enlarge)
What started as a pet project for graduate student Emily VanCourt could turn into the largest United Nations Children's Fund donation from an organization in Missouri in recent history.
VanCourt said she will begin a large push in the fundraising initiative Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF this week. She will be in Speaker's Circle Wednesday and Friday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. collecting donations toward her $3,000 goal.
"I looked at the UNICEF Web site and they had a list of donors from various states and no one from Missouri had donated more than $3,000," VanCourt said. "I thought that seemed like a reasonable goal considering we are such a big university."
VanCourt said she received 2,000 of the Trick-or Treat for UNICEF boxes and started her campaign by talking about UNICEF to the elementary education social studies class for which she is a teaching assistant.
"I showed the class a DVD about UNICEF and everything they do," she said.
After seeing the video, one of VanCourt's students stepped forward and shared her personal experience with UNICEF.
Graduate student Whitni Degrange has family in Sierra Leone, and as a toddler she briefly lived in a community there.
"I thought back long before and realized the water pump was UNICEF-run and it had impacted me, my family and the community," Degrange said.
Degrange said the well was vital because the water in the community was unhealthy.
"The children would wake up every morning and go get water from the pump," Degrange said. "We warmed it up for showers and used it to cook. It was the lifeline of the community."
VanCourt said by sharing her experiences with the class, Degrange made the students more interested in helping and added a human element to the project.
"I wanted them to see an example right in front of them that it is a real thing and it does help and it is worthwhile," Degrange said. "We forget that there are people in the world who don't even have the things that we breeze past in our everyday lives."
VanCourt looked for other ways to increase her fundraising capabilities. She talked to her adviser who suggested involving the College of Education Undergraduate Student Council.
"The College of Education Student Council has more manpower," VanCourt said. "They are providing a lot of support."
Student Council Adviser Kyle Blomenkamp is responsible for collecting and handling the money. If others are interested in collecting, they can pick up boxes outside of VanCourt's office.
"Emily came to us and asked for our help, and the best thing we could do for her was offer a central location for people to bring the money," Blomenkamp said.
Blomenkamp said there are no plans for the College of Education Student Council to continue the UNICEF fundraising in the future.
"It's the first time I think Mizzou has done it, so it's on a smaller scale this year," VanCourt said. "I hope it can develop over the next couple of years."
VanCourt said she is also trying to get downtown businesses to put the boxes on their front counters in an attempt to involve the community and to get the word out.
"Right now we are proving that we can raise the money, and emphasizing the October events," VanCourt said. "Once we do it this year and see how successful it can be, more people will become involved."
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- School of Education hopes to raise $3,000 for UNICEF — Some students have personal ties to the organization.
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