EXTREME MAKEOVER
SCHOOL EDITION
King’s Academy took community engagement to the next level this year, giving two local schools a major uplift by renovating spaces and shifting mindsets. BY MUNA AL-ALUL
A
new service activity initiated by the junior class at King’s Academy has given a local school for underprivileged children a major facelift. In a true act of community engagement, the entire King’s Academy community worked together to raise money and renovate the Erenbeh Elementary School in Al Jiza. In addition to the 11th grade class, led by Class Dean Maram Haddad, dozens of faculty and staff volunteered their time and skills, from members of the finance department to grounds staff and bus drivers.
The juniors started by holding a fundraising event at the Student Union that raised 498 JOD through direct donations and the sale of junior classthemed t-shirts. They also worked together on creating a large painting to gift to Erenbeh School. After visiting the public school to assess its needs, King’s discovered that major renovations including plumbing, electricity, painting and carpentry — at a cost of 2,500 JOD — were needed to fix-up a rundown auxiliary building used by 150 students in grades one to three who had been moved out of the main school building due to
overcrowding. King’s Office of Student Life donated 1,000 JOD and hired an external contractor to begin the overhaul of the building’s electrics and plumbing, joined by volunteers from King’s maintenance team. After spending a couple of days laying the groundwork for the renovations, scores of 11th graders, faculty and staff spent an additional day completing internal and external renovations including sanding and painting desks and walls in seven classrooms, among many other tasks. King’s also donated used furniture such as desks, cupboards, fans and art supplies. SPRING 2020
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