PROJECT: Operating costs of Operation Day's Work at Thetford Academy

FUNDS REQUESTED: $8,356

CONTACT PERSON:
Steve Niederhauser
Advisor / Teacher
Thetford Academy
P.O. Box 190
Thetford, VT 05074
(802) 785 4805
FAX: (802) 785 4028
(802) 685 2102 (home)

AUTHORIZING SIGNATURES:

Name: Martha Jane Rich
Title: Head of School
Phone: (802) 785 4805

Signature: _______________________________

Name: Joseph MacPherson
Title: Business Administrator
Phone: (802) 785 4805

Signature: _______________________________

Mascoma Savings Bank Foundation
P.O. Box 435
Lebanon, NH 03766-0435

Dear Sirs,

We are asking the Mascoma Savings Bank Foundation for an $8,356 grant to fund next year's (1999 - 2000) operating costs for Operation Day's Work at Thetford Academy. This program is not financed by either tuition or any public funds.

GOALS OF OPERATION DAY'S WORK

ORIGINS OF OPERATION DAY'S WORK

In 1997, student ODW leaders in Norway and officials at USAID (United States Agency for International Development) decided to try to jump start an ODW program in the United States. Their most important goal is to heighten American awareness of the concerns and difficulties of the developing world. The United States, the world's wealthiest nation, expends the least percentage of its national budget on global humanitarian assistance of any developed country in the world (less than half of one per cent). With a combined population of about ten million, the countries of Norway and Denmark contribute more actual money to world development efforts than does the United States. With the belief that a ODW-USA program with a high level of national participation will help significantly to eventually offset this discrepancy by building a more involved and informed voting public, USAID has gathered an impressive array of partners in its efforts to facilitate a start-up of ODW in this country. These partners include the Government of Norway, America's Promise (Gen. Colin Powell), International Youth Foundation, Scholastic, Inc., The Humphrey Institute, Minneapolis, MN, Partners of the Americas, World Learning, Brattleboro, VT, National Peace Corps Foundation, Quest International, Inter-American Development Bank and others. Endorsees include Hillary Rodham Clinton, Sen. Patrick Leahy, Sen. James Jeffords, Rep. Bernie Sanders, and Lt. Gov. Douglas Racine.

In early 1998, USAID invited seven schools to become pilot locations for the first year of ODW-USA. Dr. Nils Daulaire of Norwich, VT, an official at USAID who currently is Director of the Global Health Council, was aware of Thetford Academy's potential for socially responsible action and asked TA to submit a letter of interest. The Academy was selected as a pilot school in April, 1998. The other pilot schools are located in Washington D.C., Milwaukee WS, Minneapolis MN, Quincy MA, and Grand Forks ND. In April, 1998, three TA students joined representatives from the other pilots in Washington D.C. to plan ODW's first year. At that meeting, the students chose Haiti as the recipient country, and USAID began to solicit NGO project proposals.

OPERATION DAY'S WORK AT THETFORD ACADEMY

In September 1990, twenty TA juniors and seniors enrolled in the ODW class and have subsequently accomplished a great deal. The students first created a brochure explaining ODW and distributed it to students, faculty, community members and other interested parties. They then researched the geography, history, religion, culture, arts, language, politics and current events of Haiti, and have taught those subjects to other classes in school. Thick packets of selected educational materials about Haiti were distributed to the other pilot schools. After Hurricane Georges devastated Haiti, students ran a successful community drive, sending large amounts of clothing to Haiti. They invited and received numerous visitors, either Haitians or recent visitors to Haiti and learned Haitian drumming and dance from a Dartmouth professor of music and local performers. In October, two students, as guests of the Norwegian government, spent a week in Norway observing the Norwegian students' international week, their day of work, and the operations of their National Committee. One of the ODW students has learned Haitian Creole well enough to make phone calls to Haiti. In addition, a subgroup of students has made on-going personal contact with children at Rainbow House, a home in Port-Au-Prince for kids with HIV and AIDS, an interest which resulted in a Valley News article. Contact with a teacher of street children in Port-Au-Prince was also made. Students at Thetford also created a web site with an active boardroom (bulletin board) and numerous links about Haiti and foreign assistance. In particular, the boardroom has become a principle means of communication between the pilots and may be visited at www.odwusa.org. In addition, the group created an ODW informational "roadshow" which they have presented to the community and groups such as rotary clubs. Their presentation includes an 11 minute video and concludes with an authentic Haitian dance. In January, they received as visitors two Norwegian students from the national organization in Norway and also an official from USAID. A committee of the ODW students at TA began work designing the national organization's future structure. The students also contacted students at other local high schools to see if they, too, would be interested in working for a day to help Haitian youth.

By late winter, the ODW class at Thetford shifted its focus to facilitating the actual day of work which, for TA, will be May 5, 1999. Local businesses and individuals have been asked to provide one-day jobs for students on that day. Many students at both TA and other local schools have indicated a willingness to participate. The ODW students hope to raise at least $5,000 here in the Upper Valley for the goat project in Haiti.

A dozen or so Thetford Academy students will attend a national ODW student convention near Philadelphia this July. These students will, undoubtedly, be leaders in planning ODW's national future. At Thetford Academy next year, the juniors in this year's program will return to lead a new group of students who will be able to build upon the foundation already laid. They will be leaders and an example for the one hundred new schools involved in ODW-USA's second year.

THE ODW-USA PROJECT FOR 1999

CURRENT FUNDING FOR OPERATION DAY'S WORK

Thetford Academy ODW's expenses for 1998 - 99 (FY 99) include $5,741 paid to the program's advisor, approximately $1000 for books and other educational materials, approximately $500 for phone and postal costs, and $1000 for a teacher's trip to HaitI.

Costs were also incurred by bringing visiting artists to Thetford Academy. Diane Wolkstein, an author of books about Haitian folktales visited classes in December, 1998. Funds for Ms. Woldstein were provided by the Vermont Arts Council Haitian-American author Edwidge Danticat will likewise visit TA on April 12. Her visit is co-financed by the Dartmouth Women's Resource Center. Dartmouth Music Professor Hafiz Shabazz was hired to teach Haitian drumming to various TA classes over a period of five days in December, 1998. The funds to finance his work were provided by a grant from the Vermont Arts Council and Orange East Arts Program.

Thetford Academy's ODW expenses so far in FY 99 are $8,356. We expect further expenses of about $500.

FUNDING FOR NEXT YEAR'S OPERATION DAY'S WORK

We appreciate the opportunity to apply for funds from the Mascoma Savings Bank Foundation, and will look forward to hearing from you.

Steve Niederhauser