Oakwood Junior High students are making a difference after a reading assignment came to life.  The students raised nearly $3500 and even more awareness for those impacted by the war in Ukraine with their #RallyForRefugees project.

“#RallyForRefugees has really made me have so much sympathy for the families that are trying to flee Ukraine. I can’t even believe it and don’t know what I would do if my family was going through something like this. It really has made me want to help,” OJH eighth grader Emma Giancola said.

The project began as the students were reading the historical fiction book Refugee by Alan Gratz in class.  The book follows the story of three refugees escaping persecution in three different time periods and countries.

“When the conflict in Ukraine started over Winter Break, our discussion of current events compared to the journeys the characters experience in Refugee evolved into a ‘what can we do to help the people who are experiencing the exact same thing as Josef, Isabel and Mahmoud?’” OJH teacher Kim Gilbert said.

Gilbert says her students jumped into action, brainstorming what they could do to help the refugees fleeing Ukraine and increase awareness of their hardships with fellow students and staff.   The students, with Gilbert’s help, developed #RallyForRefugees, selling snacks and drinks, accepting donations, sharing information and messages of hope, and holding a lunchtime dance.

“I am beyond proud of what OJH students learned from reading this novel and participating in a meaningful and memorable fundraiser. Hands-on learning experiences such as this will be remembered for a lifetime,” Gilbert said.

Her students agree.

“#RallyForRefugees opened my eyes to what is going on in the world. I like the fundraiser because it is something we as teenagers can do to help. This is something that I know is a big problem. We need to see them. They are people. The only difference between them and us is that they were put in unexpected circumstances. You never really know that could have been us,” OJH eighth grader Coleman Ott said.

OJH Principal Tim Badenhop says he is impressed with the initiative his students took to help people they will never know.

“Though the events in Ukraine have saddened all of us, Mrs. Gilbert's students were sparked by the reading of Alan Gratz's Refugee to put their compassion into action as they pondered the realities of fleeing a war zone and leaving one substantial uncertainty for another. Their excitement to help was contagious, and I'm so proud of Mrs. Gilbert and her students for moving beyond awareness into meaningful support for people in need.”