As our nation struggles at an intersection of crises, two Centennial High School students are using the newly awakened consciousness of Americans to raise awareness about a lesser-known issue right outside Frisco's borders: the struggles of underfunded Dallas ISD schools, their students, and their teachers as result of the COVID-19 pandemic. After learning of the pandemic's disproportionate burden on students and teachers in Dallas' underserved communities, incoming juniors Prisha Mehta and Manogna Jonnalagadda wanted to create a way to get the Frisco community to respond to the realities outside its borders. Upon initial brainstorming of their idea in May, they reached out to the Texas-based education non-profit organization, The Leaders Readers Network (formerly Give More Hugs), in hopes of establishing a partnership to help them flesh out their vision. After building a partnership, within days, Prisha and Manogna created Project Kind Packs, a mission to provide packages of school supplies, books, hygienic supplies, and letters of encouragement for students and teachers at underserved Dallas ISD elementary schools. By the end of summer, they both hope to put these packages, or "Kind Packs" as they call them, in the hands of 300 students and 20 teachers in Dallas ISD. Their mission statement, they say, is essentially right in the name: to spread kindness, light, and encouragement for students and teachers in need so they can kick off the 2020-2021 school year with confidence and preparedness.
Prisha and Manogna's Project Kind Packs launched on June 19th, and as of June 28th the fundraiser has received $1030 in donations from Frisco community members. They both hope to meet their $3000 goal by August 7th, before the new school year begins. Contributions to Project Kind Packs aren't restricted to monetary donations. As students, Prisha and Manogna know that a large portion of their audience are their fellow high school classmates, many of whom are incapable of contributing monetarily. Knowing this, they created volunteer opportunities to encourage their classmates and other Frisco students to contribute to their mission. As countless middle school and high school students scramble to find volunteer opportunities amid a wave of event cancellations, Project Kind Packs provides 3 convenient opportunities that students can complete within the comfort of their homes. Another great opportunity for students, and for parents looking to keep their kids busy and engaged this summer, is their bookmark design contest, the top three winners of which will have their designs printed into 300+ bookmarks to be placed in their packages for Dallas ISD students to enjoy.
Born of a desire to make a difference in times of difficulty, Project Kind Packs is mission of pure generosity and kindness. "We are just grateful for this opportunity to light the faces of these teachers and students," Prisha and Manogna expressed. "The support of the Frisco community is what drives our mission; it is what is helping turn this vision into a reality." "We thank everyone for their contributions and can't wait to see where this summer takes us."
To learn more about their project and their opportunities, visit their website and watch their intro video, which delineate their goals as well as details about their Kind Packs.
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Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/projectkindpacks/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/projectkindpacks
Most importantly, to donate, click here. Sponsor a teacher or a student with a package by pitching in $10.