Amazing Kids! is proud to highlight the Amazing Kids! of the Month!

Each month, we showcase kids who are accomplishing amazing things.  We hope that by telling their special stories, we will inspire other kids to accomplish their own amazing achievements. 

""I hope that you will pass on to the students, how pleased I am that they have chosen to support Heifer Project in this way. I hope that they will learn from this activity that even small amounts of money can help a poor and hungry family and that their gifts DO make a big difference in the lives of those who receive animals and training through HPI."

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world.  Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has."

Some of the amazing Heifer Project students,
Jaggers Farm, Upton, Kentucky

Amazing Kids! is delighted to feature the amazing students of Upton and Western Elementary Schools in Upton, Kentucky as this month's Amazing Kids! of the Month.  As team members of the schools' Student Technology Leadership Program (STLP), they worked hard for several months to raise enough money to buy 5 heifers (young cows) to send to hungry people in Rwanda, Africa. 

Read their amazing story below, and who knows?  Maybe you'll become inspired to want to join Heifer International in their efforts to help hungry people around the world help themselves.  Be sure to check out the links at the end of the story to learn more about how you can help.

Upton students smile proudly with a check for $120.00,
 money they raised to send a sheep across the globe to a needy family

Table of Contents 

How The Upton and Western Elementary Schools Heifer Project Began

About Heifer International

Invitation to Help

Heifer Project News, Events and Activities

Links for more information

It all began when Mrs. Wyatt and Mrs. Seymour's students at Upton Elementary decided that as a culminating activity to their study of Farm Animals, they would host a project to send a farm animal to a poor family through Heifer International.

Begun in 1944, the organization has helped hungry people feed themselves and earn income by providing livestock and training to more than four million families around the world. 

The students began to earn money to donate to the organization by raking leaves, sweeping sidewalks, & washing dishes. They knew if they raised $20.00 they could send a flock of chickens, ducks or geese to a family and provide them with eggs and protein. For $30.00 they could send a hive of honeybees, or a trio of rabbits for $60.00. Pigs, sheep, goats, llama, water buffalo and heifers can also be sent.

Check out the Heifer International website http://catalog.heifer.org/index.cfm for more information about how your contributions can help.

The family that receives their gift promises to give offspring to another hungry family in the community, who also agree to pass on the gift, so that their gift will ripple out for years to come, ending poverty, hunger and despair for many families and villages.

Upton Students Send Sheep

All by themselves, these amazing Upton students raised $120.00 to send a sheep across the globe to a needy family! They put information about their project in the newspaper inviting others to contribute.

Students Receive Letter from Heifer Project President & CEO

Heifer Project International President & CEO Jo Luck sent a letter to Upton Students after they donated a sheep to the Heifer Project, asking them to consider donating a heifer. 

Western Joins In
 

Western Students Join the Cause,
Photographed at Haire Farm Eastview, Ky.

When Western students learned about Upton's project, they wanted to help too! Setting their goal on sending a heifer, together the amazing students at Upton and Western decided to create a book to help them raise money for their cause.  They researched web sites connected to their favorite books. The results were collected in a booklet called …A Few of Our Favorite Things: Web Site Treasures to Enhance the Enjoyment of Favorite Books.

It was sold to participants at the Kentucky Technology and Learning Conference in Louisville by Upton and Western STLP Teams in the Student Technology Showcase. And they reached their goal! $500.00 was raised to send a heifer to a needy family in Rwanda, Africa!

If you would like to purchase a booklet (cost is $5.00), or if you would like to make a contribution to this on-going project, write to Upton Elementary School at:

Upton Elementary
P.O. Box 147
Upton, Ky. 42784

    Here's the latest news from the amazing kids at Upton!
 

• They raised enough money on "Make a Difference Day" to add to what we collected at the State Fair to send 4 goats for HPI's Kids 2 Kids Campaign. 
• In December, 2001, they received the Governor's Youth Volunteerism Award 2001 from Kentucky Governor Patten in the capital at Frankfort.  Visit  http://www.hardin.k12.ky.us/upton/HPGovKidsart.htm for pictures.

Matt & Ashley Raise Money for Heifer Project at 
Kentucky Technology and Learning Conference in Louisville, Kentucky 

ABOUT HEIFER INTERNATIONAL

Heifer International is a non-profit organization that aids in the world-wide fight against unger by restocking war-torn countries with livestock and training the hungry in farming practices. Dan West founded HPI in 1944 when he realized a cow would be a self-sustaining solution to hunger instead of doling out individual cups of powdered milk.  West was participating in hunger relief in Spain following their Civil War. 

As World War II drew to a close 7,000 men and a few dozen women volunteered to tend livestock on ocean freighters destined for war-ravaged countries.  Heifer Project International organized the transportation and care of donated livestock to send to Europe.  The very first shipment of heifers never actually made it to Europe, but went to Puerto Rico to help hungry people there instead!
 
 

INVITATION TO HELP
 

• Letter inviting students to help
• Help Upton and Western Students write their next "Best Websites" book

They are trying to collect the Best Web Sites in the World to make another book to raise more money for Heifer Project this year.  You can help them by emailing them and sharing your best educational site or sites in any subject area.  To participate, e-mail your students' top picks in any or all school subject categories to:  jstith@hardin.k12.ky.us. 
 

HEIFER PROJECT NEWS, EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES
 

HPI 3-1 Matching Gift Grant

These amazing students received an HPI 3-1 Matching Funds endowment, which secured a US AID Grant of three times what they contributed, increasing their initial

The students produced a live call-in tv program about HPI which was broadcast from HCTV Studio!

STLP Team Members serve as TV camera crew 
for their live call-in tv program!

The Upton & Western STLP Teams worked as the TV crew & hosted Mr. David Boothby, Heifer Project International Midwest Regional Director! HPI is an organization that helps make the world a better place by providing training & farm animals to needy families around the globe. Students, teachers & members of the local & global community were invited to call in or e-mail questions about Heifer Project  International & share their best educational web sites during the program.
 
 
 

STLP Team Members Host Call-In TV Program

You can watch a video of the call-in tv program too!  It is being streamed over the Internet at: http://www.hardin.k12.ky.us/video/playvid1.html.
 

Heifer Project Friends of STLP

The STLP Teams also participated in a local tv broadcast at Elizabethtown Community College discussing their Heifer Project!
 

STLP Teams Invited to Kentucky State Fair

STLP Teams students explain their display

at the Kentucky State Fair

The STLP Teams were invited to the Kentucky State Fair Aug. 23 to display their Heifer Project in the South Wing at the Kentucky Department of Education booth. They gave visitors cow erasers and brochures explaining the mission of HPI & raised $221.81 selling their Internet booklet and accepting donations!

News Articles

Visitor From Rwanda

Dr. Tarsus Kagwisagwe talking to the President of Rwanda

Upton & Western students are excitedly looking forward to a visit from Dr. Tarsus Kagwisagwe , the Heifer Project Country Director for Rwanda, who planning a visit to the United States to thank the children for their support of the Rwanda Heifer Project program.

Inside Kentucky Schools TV Program

Tacy Groves, a producer from the television program, Inside Kentucky Schools at: http://www.kde.state.ky.us/comm/mediasvcs/inside_kentucky_schools.asp,

LINKS FOR MORE INFORMATION

Upton and Western Elementary Hiefer Project website: http://www.hardin.k12.ky.us/upton/HeiferProject.html

Letter congratulating Upton Elementary kids from Mr. J. Larry Thomas, President of the Hardin County Farm Bureau:  http://www.hardin.k12.ky.us/upton/HeiferFrmBru.htm

(The letter contained a $50.00 donation for their project!)

Heifer International website:  http://www.heifer.org

Heifer Organization's Learning Centers and Volunteer opportunities: 
http://www.heifer.org/forms/getinvolv_getinfo.htm

Heifer Organization's suggested links for "Ending World Hunger" (found on their website at: http://www.heifer.org/end_hunger/links.htm):

World Hunger Education Service's Hunger Notes

HungerWeb

FoodFirst Information and Action Network

Sustainable Farming Connection

United Nations

Ethics Updates: World Hunger

Worldwatch Institute

Bread for the World

UNICEF -- United Nations Children's Fund

World Hunger Year