Help 5th graders celebrate their Portuguese learning journey

The Olá Program is a unique Portuguese–English bilingual immersion program at King Open School, a diverse public elementary school in Cambridge, MA that values being an inclusive and welcoming community. In April 2025, we are excited to offer our Olá 5th graders the opportunity to participate in a transformative one-week trip to Portugal to deepen and bring together all that they've learned during their elementary education. In the spirit of equity and inclusion, we are raising scholarship funds to ensure that financial constraints are not a barrier to participation for families and teachers going on the trip.

About the trip: 15 scholars and their Portuguese language teachers (along with school administrators and Portuguese-speaking parent chaperones; ~9 adults total) will be visiting São Miguel Island in the Azores, Portugal, a location chosen for its strong ties to our community. During this unique experience, our scholars--many who have studied Portuguese together since kindergarten--will celebrate their final year together while exploring and connecting with Portuguese culture, language, cuisine, and traditions. They will also engage with the local community, municipal leaders, and explore the island's stunning natural environment.

Why donate to our trip? We want to ensure that this trip is possible for EVERY scholar in our class. Without significant scholarship funds, not all of the scholars would not be able to participate in this once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Additionally, when you donate, you are investing in our collective future. This journey celebrates the hard work and dedication of our students after 5-6 years of studying Portuguese, the 6th most spoken language worldwide. It also deepens their linguistic and cultural competencies, leaving lasting individual and community impacts. This experience will inspire our next generation to enrich our society with their love for the Portuguese language and culture. The skills they acquire and the memories they create during this trip will stay with them for a lifetime.

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Other Notes:

-This trip is supported by Cambridge Public Schools and Friends of King Open, a parent-led 501c3 nonprofit committed to nurturing and enhancing the academic and social development programs at King Open School. Your donation is tax-deductible to the fullest extent permitted by law.

-If you are making a large donation or if you prefer to give by check or Venmo to help us avoid processing fees, you can do so by:

-Any additional funds raised beyond this year's trip needs will go toward scholarships for future Olá class trips.

We deeply appreciate your generosity and commitment to our mission! And a big thanks to donors from our community who have already made donations, enabling us to make substantial headway in reaching our fundraising goal!