Middle School News
Eagle Fund Change Makers: By Marti Champion, Head of Middle School
Educators are constantly looking for ways to introduce the “real world” to their students. Oftentimes, it looks like breaking down the four walls of the classroom and going out into the world. After last year’s work with World Leadership School, I took their sentiment around purposedriven learning and created the Eagle Fund: Change Makers class with support from the original Eagle Fund. The Eagle Fund was founded by eleven Graland alums in 2002: hence the name “Eagle Fund.” They based their organization around the common goal of creating a non-profit early in their careers to give back to the Colorado community. As they have advanced their professional endeavors, they have remained united around the fund’s ability to make a difference in the lives of young Coloradans and have given to over 15 organizations in their brief history. I began meeting with Jon-Erik Borgen ’92 and Ryan O’Shaughnessy ’93, two of the founding members, in 2019 with the goal of creating an opportunity to involve Graland Middle School students in the decision-making process when it came to granting funds to local non-profit organizations. Knowing the impact that this kind of experience could have on these students, I created the Eagle Fund: Change Makers class with their blessing.
Going off the original Eagle Fund mission to make tangible and lasting improvements to education in Colorado through meaningful gifts that have a substantial effect on people’s lives, the purpose of this class is to give students a hands-on experience where they work in collaboration with one another and non-profit leaders to make a lasting impact in the community. After reviewing the Eagle Fund mission and analyzing and discussing the differences between philanthropic and charitable organizations, five seventh grade students began their journey as the Eagle Fund: Change Makers this fall. As the facilitator I worked hard to expose these young leaders to the important work and responsibility of being a good steward in one’s community. With some guidance from Eagle Fund president Josh Holman ’94, these students, Austin, Ava, Chloe, Graham, and Marcela, who see themselves as a committee, worked together to create a purpose statement, “to donate to a Denver-based non-profit organization that supports underserved communities so that a long-lasting impact is made,” that has served as their north star when creating a process to select an organization to fund. Recognizing that each person brought their own passions to the space, they worked well with each other to choose categories and then organizations to research, contact, and visit so that each member of the committee felt empowered to make the best decision possible. The top six organizations the committee researched were: Denver Dumb Friends League, Freedom Service Dogs of America, The Gathering Place, Lutheran Family Services, Mental Health Colorado, and Women’s Foundation of Colorado. Armed with thoughtful questions meant to uncover the need each organization
Student Reflections from the Eagle Fund: Change Makers Committee What have you learned about working on a committee? “Something I have learned while working on a committee is how to be able to work with people who don’t always have the same ideas as you or agree with you. Collaboration is a very valuable skill that we use a lot in the Eagle Fund. We are constantly having conversations with each other where we mostly agree or rarely have a debate about what we think about an organization or what we should vote on. This is a class where we mostly talk to each other rather than the teacher. Something else I have learned is that it is okay when not everyone agrees on the same idea as you. For example, when we present the organizations we want to be considered for the donation, not everyone will vote on the organizations that you think are the best options. So you have to learn how to compromise even on the things that you are extremely passionate about.” - Chloe J.
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How has Graland’s mission statement impacted your work with the committee? “Graland’s mission to prepare students to be engaged citizens and thoughtful leaders has impacted my work with the Eagle Fund: Change Makers committee. I joined the Eagle Fund to make a difference at Graland, in the world, and to grow as a person. Over the course of the Eagle Fund project, I feel like we have helped the community and will continue to make a difference. I feel I have grown in knowing who really needs help and what organizations are doing to assist those who need it. I have also discovered organizations that are helping people in an innovative, collaborative, and impactful way. I feel that at the end of this class we will have made a significant difference in the world.’’ - Graham G.
