Students Learn How to Advocate Change

RCA students are learning how to advocate change.  6^th and 7^th grade students had the pleasure of participating in a special program sponsored by the United Nations Foundation.  The initiative is called Nothing But Nets, and it’s a grassroots campaign to save lives by preventing malaria. 

After just over a year, the campaign has had the opportunity to work with youth across the country, from Chicago to Houston, Washington, DC to Denver, to educate them about the issue of malaria and empower them to make an impact on this major global health issue. More than anyone, it is youth who have taken on Nothing But Nets, telling their teachers, family and coaches about malaria and creating change.

As the Campaign stopped through Atlanta on its City Tour, the Ron Clark Academy was invited to host the Nothing But Nets Boot Camp.  Students rotated from station to station learning unique ways in which they could get involved in the global effort to prevent malaria.  Some stations were tied to sports; others challenged our students’ creative sides through song writing and skit reenactments.   The Atlanta Hawks are also partners in this initiative; members from the organization also visited the Academy and participated in the camp.

But the excitement didn’t end there.  RCA students were also invited to perform at a Nothing But Nets rally in Atlanta’s downtown Woodruff Park.  Mayor Shirley Franklin was there along with City Councilman Kwanza Hall.  Students performed a couple of songs before the standing crowd, which also included Ted Turner, the founder of the United Nations Foundation.

The UN Foundation and its staff were wonderful at working with our youth to show them how to become leaders in this movement. It was an awesome experience filled with fun ways to educate our students about their ability to make a change in the world and in a person’s life, halfway across the globe. Thank you UN Foundation for the incredible work that you do!