Friends of Richmond Community High School

I am so excited about the opportunity to work alongside students from Richmond Community High School to introduce them to the Mayan culture and provide opportunities for them to work alongside Mayan families to address needs such as access to safe cooking practices, efficient water use, and supporting projects for biodiversity. I am the director of Friends of RCHS, 501c3. We are partnering with Highland Support Project to make this possible.

The students attending this summer are committed to learning from indigenous Americans about their culture and sharing what they learn with their peers back in Richmond, VA. Students are raising funds through this Go Fund Me to cover the cost of service projects while they are in Guatemala. Funds for travel and accommodations are provided through by a grant obtained by Friends of RCHS. These funds will provide for tools and materials for building interior stoves with highland families who currently cook over open fires. Open fire cooking leads to chronic respiratory conditions for Mayan women. Students will be working with Mayan children on agriculture and dental health, learning and sharing ideas about sustainable agriculture, and planting to support migratory bird populations that are in Virginia and Guatemala.

Our students will be learning and preparing well in advance of the trip and most work in the RCHS Community Garden serving food insecure families in our area.

Because Richmond Community High serves primarily students from socio-ecomonically challenged backgrounds finding a pathway to college, we feel that giving them this opportunity for advanced learning and travel will better prepare them for their journey beyond high school. All funds raised go to the project needs and not any individual students expenses.

Thank you for your support of our students and their learning in and outside the classroom!

RICHMOND COMMUNITY HIGH SCHOOL

SERVICE LEARNING INITIATIVE

Please help us to support our service project and provide us with the opportunity to learn more about First Americans and their culture and needs.

Richmond Community High School students are focused on community and service in their local communities and with marginalized indigenous peoples. As a continuation of environmental science and the service learning initiative, a contingent of students will be working closely with the White Mountain Apache tribe on projects that reduce environmental pollutions and address issues of hunger, lack of fresh water, and education on the reservation. The White Mountain Apache Tribe now consists of approximately 15,000 members. The majority of the population lives in and around Whiteriver, Arizona.

Students are raising funds for materials and equipment for the creation of bioswales to reduce pollutant runoff into tribal agricultural and living areas. Students traveling to White Mountain this spring will be constructing bioswales, engaging with the students at the reservation school, and learning about the history and culture of the Apache Nation.

By providing a donation of any size you are providing a life-changing opportunity for Richmond public schools student scholars to learn through hands-on service. These students are interested in the cultural and environmental impacts of climate change and are often limited in participating in programs like this due to their socio-economic situations.

We are seeking donations to assist with transportation costs for students to travel to Guatemala this summer to work with indigenous Guatemalans facing the dire effects of climate change. All students regardless of their ability to pay for the cost of the trip are eligible to participate. The trip is a week of hard work, making connections, and learning.

Friends of RCHS, 501c3 supports the dreams of Richmond Virginia Public School students seeking to attend college which for many is breaking the cycle of poverty through education. The nonprofit provides funds and programs that enhance student education in STEAM, college readiness, family supports, scholarships, environmental stewardship, and hands-on learning and service-learning experiences for students. Students are engaged in the community including operating a neighborhood greenhouse for the food insecure and globally through programs like the Guatemalan Service Learning Program.