PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. — A gaggle of scholars on the Franklin Academy in Palm Beach Gardens are proving that age has no restrict on what you are able to do.

They raised $4,581 to assist households impacted by Hurricane Ian on the west coast of Florida.

“We pretty much talk about how we can help the community and how we can make an impact,” mentioned Ethan Mott, 8^th grade International Baccalaureate Ambassador.

At the Franklin Academy, the management program of 25 college students often called International Baccalaureate Ambassadors, or IB Ambassadors, are accountable for creating school-wide service initiatives.

“I definitely feel that before being an IB Ambassador I didn’t really think much of going out of my way to help other people or do something that was maybe out of the way for me, and it would impact something else but now that I am an IB Ambassador I’ve definitely done that more,” mentioned Cecilia Renzulli, 8^th grade IB Ambassador. “We’re kind of like the leaders and we have to set a good example for everyone.”

The IB Ambassadors had lately been elected and have been planning their service undertaking when Hurricane Ian impacted Florida’s west coast.

That’s when an thought was born to create a “dress down” day, the place college students who donate $5 can go to highschool in informal garments as an alternative of a uniform that might be collected and used for help.

Kindergarten by eighth grade college students participated and donated for the trigger. Some households sponsored total lecture rooms to decorate down, elevating $4,851.

“I wore jeans and a shirt,” mentioned Breanna Hanza, an 8^th grade IB Ambassador. “We were thinking we would raise $2,000 at least but we raised more than that.”

“It was amazing to hear that much is what we could do to help people,” mentioned 8^th grade IB Ambassador Anisa Maharaj. “It’s a phenomenal feeling because you’re helping them and at the same time other people are feeling happy with dress down day or because they’re helping people.”

The IB Ambassadors did their analysis and determined the cash will go in the direction of the nonprofit group Convoy of Hope.

They have been going by the southwest area and on the bottom within the Fort Myers space since final Friday, delivering reduction to 11 communities, together with Cape Coral, Pine Island Center, Bokeelia, Lehigh Acres, Port Charlotte, Bradenton, Estero, Venice, Naples, and North Fort Myers.

So far, Convoy of Hope reviews distributing greater than 350,000 kilos of reduction provides, together with meals, water, ice, hygiene kits, child provides, tarps and extra and has served greater than 20,000 individuals.

“I feel like it’s changed me but it’s also changed the people that are around this amazing group of people because they influence each other and everybody influences people outside IB ambassador which just creates a big community where everybody wants to help out,” mentioned Mott.

This is all a part of the varsity’s initiative to give attention to character growth for college students simply as a lot as teachers.

All college students are required to conduct one service undertaking every quarter.

“It focuses on the whole child. We don’t just focus on the academics, while it is rigorous, we focus more on character building and what that means and what their role in the world is and how they can take what they learn in the classroom and use it to make a difference in the community,” mentioned Leah Hanza, the IB Coordinator, PYP and MYP for the Franklin Academy Charter School.

Hanza mentioned the scholars might be presenting Convoy of Hope with a verify early subsequent week, which might be a complete of $5,000. In addition to the $4,581 raised by the coed initiative, $200 was donated by two women and Hanza mentioned she is going to make up the distinction to convey the whole to $5,000.

“Getting them to think about other people and put other people first and really focus on the concept of empathy and what that looks like kind of creates a movement,” mentioned Hanza. “What ends up happening is these students that really struggle with um being selfish it had its they really kind of evolved and it’s really cool to watch how they want to serve others and they do things without being asked and the respect just comes naturally and so it’s beautiful to see something that we haven’t seen in years past.”

Hanza says as a result of Convoy of Hope is situated within the Midwest, they won’t be able to personally current the verify however will achieve this through Zoom.