More than 500 students at Oak Lawn Hometown Middle School laced up their walking shoes Oct. 16 to help build a library for children in Zimbabwe.
The school’s Walk for Literacy raised $13,808 for a library at Chiroti Secondary School in rural Zimbabwe. A $5,000 personal donation from community volunteers brought the total to $18,808.
Heather McCarthy, the school’s media specialist, said the event gives students a chance to see how their efforts can help children in another part of the world.
“What I love most about the Walk for Literacy is that it teaches students that they have the power to make a difference in the world,” McCarthy said.
Students in sixth, seventh and eighth grades spent the day walking laps around the school building. Each grade had 80 minutes to take part.
In previous years, the walk took place in the community. Moving it to the school during the day made it easier for more students to participate.
Eight stations were set up around the building, including sidewalk chalk, a candy wheel, bubbles, bags and giant Jenga. Students could grab a glass of iced tea while music played from two DJ stations.
The walk capped an effort that began about two weeks earlier, when students started asking family members, friends and neighbors to donate.
Jackson Chavosky, 12, of Oak Lawn, said the project meant something special to him because of his own childhood.
“Growing up, I loved going to the library to check out books or to go to story time,” Chavosky said. “I’m glad to be a small part of this amazing mission to bring that same experience to other children.”
He also liked watching his classmates get behind the project.
“The thing I liked best about the event was seeing my classmates come together for such a great cause,” he said. “The ice tea was pretty good too!”
Everlee Goldizen, 12, of Oak Lawn, said walking with friends made the day better.
“It felt amazing knowing our steps were helping other kids,” Goldizen said.
“I truly believe everyone deserves a library because they are safe spaces for everyone,” she said.
All the money raised will go to the Tinogona Foundation, which will work with staff at Chiroti Secondary School on the library’s construction.
This is the second library Oak Lawn Hometown Middle School students have helped fund. The first, at Musukwi Primary School in Zimbabwe, celebrated its grand opening this summer.
McCarthy traveled to Zimbabwe for the ribbon-cutting. She returned with photos, videos and personal accounts that showed students how their fundraising had changed the lives of children there.
Seeing those results inspired students to take on another project, McCarthy said. They wanted children at another school to have the same benefits of a library.
The school’s superintendent praised the students’ efforts in a staff newsletter, writing that projects like the Walk for Literacy help students understand global issues and put what they learn into practice.
McCarthy said she hopes students understand that many children do not have the same access to books and education they enjoy.
“By coming together to raise funds to build a library, our students learn what global service looks like in action,” she said. “They discover that even as middle school students, they can turn compassion into meaningful change.”