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At Hill School, It's All About Change for the Better
At Hill School, It's All About Change for the Better
By Leonard Shapiro
A penny, a nickel, a dime, or a quarter can make a huge difference in the lives of countless Americans, according to the Maine-based nonprofit “World of Change” (WOC). At The Hill School in Middleburg, students from Junior Kindergarten through the eighth grade have been learning that valuable lesson.
It began when Kelly Johnson, Hill’s Director of Enrollment, and two students, then eighth grader Tim Hubbard and seventh grader Zoe Korff, attended a presentation at the Montessori School of South Riding that included the WOC founder. They learned that studies show an estimated $10 billion in change sits idle in households across America.
WOC founder Matt Hoidal thought it would be a fabulous idea to collect the scattered troves of coins to make a positive impact. He started WOC in 2017 and all that change has also made a world of difference for both donors, and recipients.
“One of the key components is to engage kids in philanthropy at a young age,” Matt told an interviewer when WOC first launched. “I can’t think of a better way to show children how they can make a difference. They will be able to take the change just sitting around their homes and decide which jar to drop the coins into and then literally watch it add up and see with their own eyes how they can make a world of change.”
Matt came to Middleburg at the end of the 2023 school year to attend a Hill assembly that also included several representatives of the local organizations that are the beneficiaries of all that Hill change, over $6,000 in the three years Hill has sponsored the fundraiser.
“It’s a lot of fun to collect the change and even more fun to see it all add up,” he told the students. “It’s not about just thinking about nice things. It’s doing nice things. And all of you are changing the world.”
WOC partners with established non-profits and programs, and targets 100 percent of the funds raised to provide support in six areas: housing, food security, education, financial literacy, health and wellness, and children’s play.
Zoe Korff, a rising senior at Heritage High School, said she loved the idea right from the start. She and Tim Hubbard, now entering his freshman year at Longwood College, initially helped organize a fundraiser, then explained the program to their fellow Hill students at a school-wide assembly.
That day, each child was given a change purse containing four quarters. Jars for each of the charity beneficiaries were placed in each classroom, and soon began filling up with those quarters, with lots more change to come.
“It was so simple,” Zoe said. “I’m also a sucker for puns and plays on words. But to think something so mundane as finding loose change could make such a huge difference was very appealing. It’s so simple anyone can do it. It wasn’t ‘oh, just ask your parents to write a check.’ It was ‘go look between the cushions, search for coins under the seat of your car.’”
In 2023, Hill’s change went to Backpack Buddies, Boulder Crest Foundation, Middleburg Humane Foundation, The Truth 365, Winchester Rescue Mission, and All Ages Read Together.
There were six change jars in every classroom, one for each nonprofit. “What I love about the program is that it gives children the power to decide where their money will go,” Kelly said. “It provides them a unique sense of ownership and responsibility. They are becoming young philanthropists and are making an actual difference in the lives of people these non-profits are supporting.”
Representatives from Boulder Crest Foundation, The Truth 365, and Winchester Rescue Mission came to Hill’s assembly to offer a personal thank you.
“It’s important that children understand the difference they are making, “ Kelly said, “For representatives from the non-profits to speak directly to the students, to express their gratitude for the students’ efforts, and for the students to be given a glimpse of how their donations are transforming lives, inspires our community to do more.”
Indeed, The Hill School students are true agents of change, making a difference one coin at a time.
