Above: A Southborough teen is raising funds to join a service trip to help provide an indigenous community in Guatemala with access to schooling. (images cropped from fundraising page)
Southborough’s Sophia Keene is actively fundraising for a service trip to rural Guatemala this July.
The rising Algonquin senior’s fundraising page explains that the service project organized by School the World is to build a school “for children living in rural extreme poverty”.
As of this morning, Keene was still over $1,200 short on her fundraising goal for the trip. You can support her fundraiser here.
Keene’s fundraiser is part of the Service trip’s $100,000 fundraiser. That fundraising page explains that the funds help beyond the construction of the school. It will also cover “one year of School the World’s holistic programming” for the indigenous community.
As part of the service program, teen participants are first given a primer on “Guatemalan history, culture and how education can eradicate poverty.” The School the World program also promises Keen and other teens an adventure and life changing experience:
Our immersive Service Learning Trips offer the perfect opportunity to travel abroad, experience a new culture, and forge lifelong friendships—all while making a meaningful impact on a community in need. These Service Learning Trips are designed to give high school students a unique chance to discover themselves and uncover their passions through service, connection, and immersion in a completely different environment.
Through this experience, students develop a profound awareness of their privilege and make a personal commitment to using that privilege to drive positive change in the world through the power of giving.
These service trips cultivate empathy and understanding by connecting young adults with the lived realities of others. In just one week, participants step out of their comfort zones and work together toward a shared goal—building a school or playground for primary school children. The journey is filled with joy, laughter, and gratitude as they witness a new reality unfold and see the tangible impact of their efforts.
