Sunsets for Sequoia
Donation protected
“I want to see some of the sunrises and sunsets around the globe to compare to the ones I see here outside my window. “
Sequoia Lefthand is a junior at Vista Grande High School in Taos, NM. She is a member of Taos Pueblo, a Native American community that is over 1000 years old.
Described by one of her teachers as "dedicated, driven, and respectful," Sequoia recently joined the Taos Youth Travel Club (TYTC). Ninety percent (90%) of Taos youth have never travelled beyond New Mexico; 97% have never left the United States. These statistics are even higher for students, like Sequoia, whose families live near the poverty line.
The trips organized by TYTC are deeply educational, with historians, biologists, and other scholars providing on-site guidance. In addition, service-learning components allow students to work side by side with locals in community projects. The upcoming trip, “Exploring Art, Culture, and Service in Peru,” will take place in March 2015.
TYTC students fund-raise for their trips. Sequoia has done bake sales and "blanket dances" on the pueblo, but she hasn't been able to raise enough money, partly because of the high cost of getting a passport.
We, the Cornell team that spent part of winter break observing Sequoia and her classmates at Vista Grande High, want to help. We've seen firsthand how rare and precious Sequoia's aspirations are, and we can't leave Taos without trying to lend her a hand.
Sequoia's last day to get a spot is January 31.
Sequoia Lefthand is a junior at Vista Grande High School in Taos, NM. She is a member of Taos Pueblo, a Native American community that is over 1000 years old.
Described by one of her teachers as "dedicated, driven, and respectful," Sequoia recently joined the Taos Youth Travel Club (TYTC). Ninety percent (90%) of Taos youth have never travelled beyond New Mexico; 97% have never left the United States. These statistics are even higher for students, like Sequoia, whose families live near the poverty line.
The trips organized by TYTC are deeply educational, with historians, biologists, and other scholars providing on-site guidance. In addition, service-learning components allow students to work side by side with locals in community projects. The upcoming trip, “Exploring Art, Culture, and Service in Peru,” will take place in March 2015.
TYTC students fund-raise for their trips. Sequoia has done bake sales and "blanket dances" on the pueblo, but she hasn't been able to raise enough money, partly because of the high cost of getting a passport.
We, the Cornell team that spent part of winter break observing Sequoia and her classmates at Vista Grande High, want to help. We've seen firsthand how rare and precious Sequoia's aspirations are, and we can't leave Taos without trying to lend her a hand.
Sequoia's last day to get a spot is January 31.
Organizer
Bryan Duff
Organizer
Taos, NM