11 Inspiring Things That Happened In And Around America’s Schools Last Month

11 Inspiring Things That Happened In and Around America’s Schools Last Month

This article is part of a series on The Seventy Four that highlights the exceptional individuals, success stories, unexpected surprises, and acts of kindness that occur in schools across America. If you’re looking for more inspiring stories, check out our recent coverage at The74million.org/series/inspiring.

Every month, numerous heartwarming stories about education make local headlines throughout the country. These stories are all about students, schools, teachers, administrators, volunteers, and communities who demonstrate the incredible achievements possible when passionate people are empowered in the American education system.

The month of July was no exception. We’ve already celebrated a few inspiring stories this month, such as three entrepreneurial high schoolers in Massachusetts who developed a homework app, a Michigan city that came together to recover stolen funds for a high school cheerleading team, and a Lego robot summer camp in West Virginia for tech-savvy elementary students.

However, these were just scratching the surface. Here are 11 more inspiring school stories that went viral this month:

– On July 14, a mystery philanthropist donated $34 million to the Oakland Unified School District and various nonprofits in Oakland. The funds were given to the San Francisco Foundation for distribution, with the donor aiming for transformative impacts (Read more: ABC7).

– A New York student, Anna Sophia Boguraev, won the first-ever Genes In Space competition, which sent her unique DNA experiment to space. Anna is a 17-year-old rising senior at Fox Lane High School in Bedford, New York (Read more: lohud.com).

– Twenty-nine high school teams from 11 states participated in a national challenge, where they designed and built solar cars. This intense competition took place in 100-degree heat at Texas Motor Speedway’s oval track (Read more: MySanAntonio.com).

– In Kansas on July 2, world-renowned mosaic artist Isaiah Zagar visited the Kansas capital with the purpose of creating a mural for the city. He was joined by 30 students from Quincy Elementary, who were attending an arts camp in the NOTO Arts District (Read more: WIBW).

– Queens students in New York collaborated with their history teacher, Carl Ballenas, to publish three books on the history of Queens. Carl is known for his creative teaching methods and inspiring his students to achieve great things (Read more: New York Daily News).

– The Encinitas Union School District in Southern California has plans to install solar panels and other conservation systems in order to save an estimated $450,000 annually. Student teams will monitor energy consumption and financial savings using software programs (Read more: San Diego Union-Tribune).

– A pilot program in Desloge, Missouri offers work experience to students with learning disabilities. Four rising seniors are participating in this six-week program, combining employment skills classes with part-time jobs (Read more: Daily Journal).

Frank Crow, the regional director for Preferred Employment Services in Desloge, explained that this program is designed for incoming seniors who qualify for vocational rehabilitation services through VR. It provides employment opportunities for individuals with physical or mental impairments, who face difficulties in finding jobs but may have better chances through this program. The program requires students to work at a specific location for six weeks during the summer. They spend four hours a day, four days a week doing tasks and one day a week learning employment skills in a classroom setting. This includes developing skills in working with co-workers, being prepared and confident, and interacting in a work environment. They also learn other soft skills necessary for obtaining and maintaining employment (via Daily Journal).

July 6, Washington: Reconnecting After 50 Years: Monthly Gatherings of Childhood Friends from McCarver Elementary School in Tacoma — A group of women who were classmates at McCarver Elementary School in the 1940s and 1950s have been meeting every month for the past decade to share a meal and reminisce about their youthful days. The school used to go up until the 9th grade, making the bond between these friends even stronger. (Read more: KCPQ)

July 11, California: Overcoming Challenges: Deaf Football Players Find Inspiration at Sacramento Camp — As football teams nationwide attend summer camps to enhance their skills, the California School for the Deaf team is benefiting from the guidance of a former Raiders quarterback. This coaching experience offers them much more than just training drills and plays, as they learn to overcome the unique obstacles they face as deaf athletes. (Read more: CBS13)

July 20, Alabama: Going the Extra Mile: Volunteers Make a Difference with ‘Give a Kid a Chance’ Initiative — With nearly 600 families in Alabama seeking assistance to cover back-to-school expenses, compassionate individuals in Florence have answered the call, providing invaluable support to hundreds of parents by supplying them with clothing and necessary supplies. These volunteers are truly going above and beyond to ensure that every child has a fair chance at a successful education. (Read more: whnt.com)

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