On Friday January 15th, children grades K-5 from Horace Mann elementary school got to enjoy a fun-filled family night sponsored by the Girls Inc of Alameda. They were greeted by 2 volunteers and went straight to their classrooms to show their after-school projects to their parents. Not long after, dinner was served in the cafeteria. Both kids and adults chose what type of salad and/or pasta, and sat according to homeroom. Not long after, the kindergarteners walked up to the stage and lip-synced for everyone! More performances followed, ranging from a yoga routine, to a Mexican song, to a hula dance. Parents and volunteers took photos and videos as well as cheered the performers on. The exciting night ended with a large raffle in which the kids and their families won fun prizes. As the event came to a close, the cafeteria was cleaned up by volunteers that were proud that their effort to make it an amazing family night was a great success.
Think Global Act Local
Over 60 million school-aged girls worldwide are not receiving an education. They face several obstacles on a daily basis, and most people do not even know about it. Many organizations have been created to help those girls. One of them is called Girl Rising, and they are dedicated to spreading awareness of the issue itself. They have ambassadors everywhere, and anyone can sign up.
As a Girl Rising ambassador in the East Bay, I took the cause of girls’ education to Logitech, a technology company in the Silicon Valley. It was a huge success. Any small contribution makes a difference, and Logitech made a huge one by hosting a presentation and allowing me to talk about the challenges preventing girls worldwide from going to school to their community of professionals.
They took the next step, and engaged with a local organization by putting together cool technology packages to donate to Girls Incorporated of Alameda County. Like Girl Rising, they are focused on girls’ education, and work everyday “to inspire all girls to be strong, smart and bold” by offering a variety of academic programs and counseling services.