Class Giving Campaign

STORIES UWCSEA

Class Giving Campaign Stronger together

Class Giving is an opportunity for students to come together with their classmates to celebrate a fantastic year and leave a lasting legacy at the College. It is a grassroots fundraising initiative, led by parents, creating relationships and community across the College while taking action in line with the UWC mission.

In 2019, an enthusiastic group of parent volunteers from both campuses greatly expanded the programme. Throughout the entire month of May they worked tirelessly to roll out the initiative across the College. Parents contacted other parents in the class, got the ball rolling with students and teachers, ramped up the excitement throughout the month and brought everyone together to decide on a meaningful initiative for each class. Some classes undertook a ‘30 days of kindness’ campaign with students committing to one act of kindness per day, and others decided to make a financial gift supporting a new tree on campus, purchasing part of a solar panel or donating funds to support the UWC Refugee initiative or Sky School.

By the end of the school year the results were absolutely outstanding: over 600 families, in 46 classes across nine grades had generously donated over $48,000! The power of collective giving and the spirit of philanthropy is alive and well at UWCSEA.

During the last two weeks of the school year, students, teachers and families had the chance to bring their gifts to life. Solar donors climbed up on the rooftops to install their solar panels and Adopt a Tree donors had a chance to plant and water their baby saplings. Those who donated to the UWC Refugee Initiative had talks in their classrooms from scholars passionate about the refugee programme and Sky School donors were lucky enough to hear from the organisation’s founders, Polly and Mia about how their donations will change lives. Thank you to all the incredible parent volunteers and to all the donors for their generous contributions to the Class Giving Campaign and taking the time to build connections throughout the College and bring the UWC mission to life.

“The Class Giving Programme in the Primary School has had such a huge impact - it is difficult to find the words to describe it. Whilst the work and success of the programme; the number of solar panels sponsored and installed as well as trees planted, is incredibly valuable and mission aligned work, it is the community pulling together in authentic ways that has really blown us away. Couple this with the inspirational and impactful modelling of student agency from older students to younger ones and you get a small glimpse of how wide the ripples extend from this initiative. The students involved and their commitment and passion for the projects, have really demonstrated that with a positive mindset and hard work, you can achieve anything. The Class Giving initiative really is a shining example of our students as changemakers, taking action to make a difference for others.”

PAULINE MARKEY, Primary School Principal, East