Hi, I am a high school AP Government and Politics teacher at Bronx Latin High School in the South Bronx. We are planning a trip this May to go to DC so the students can meet with Congressman Ritchie Torres to discuss important issues that affect the New York's 15th district - such as - extreme poverty, urban blight, pollution, drug epidemics, gun violence, police brutality, racial profiling and homelessness, educational and economical equity and food deserts/ scarcity, etc.

These students have been putting a lot of work into a variety of civic based action projects and courses to achieve the NY Civic Seal of Readiness. Each one of these students wrote 9 handwritten letters to each other elected officials regarding their projects as well. This trip will allow them to fulfill all their requirements and advocate for the issues that they each have specialized in over the course of the past 2 years. Their hard work deserves acknowledgement and grounding the opportunities present in Washington DC.

Please help donate as much as you possibly can! Any amount will make a difference. We don't mind the kind that jingles but we prefer the money that folds. Many students do not have a capabilities to afford the accommodations and activities that we have planned. This fundraising efforts will help to sponsor students who are having trouble covering all the costs.

**Update**

After getting our bus funding cut...the Congressmen Ritchie Torres and his office will be covering the expenses for the bus. We are very grateful for his contributions because now the trip is back on! We still do need to raise another $1500 so we can sponsor certain students who still cannot afford it so, please spread the word. We are so close!!

We appreciate all that you can do to help! Thank you!