A GENUINE LONG-TERM PROJECT, WITH GREAT RESULTS

The Rotary Club of Honolulu Sunrise, Hawaii, USA, mentored 25 at-risk first graders beginning in 1997 and concluded the project 12 years later, in 2009. Of those original 25 students, 19 graduated high school and moved on to higher education, military service, or trade schools. Five children relocated and had to leave the program, and only one student dropped out.

Rotarians became mentors for individual students and followed their progress in and out of school. Over the years, the children, their families, and Honolulu Sunrise club members participated in fun outdoor activities as well as service projects. The students held annual fundraisers to help pay for their college tuition, and they were expected to discuss report cards with their mentors and do additional community service. Once the students were in high school, the club members taught them interviewing and writing skills to help them through the college admission process and future job searches. With the club’s help, over $50,000 had been raised and invested by the end of the project. These funds are being divided equally to help finance the students’ continuing education and will be paid directly to schools each semester to cover books and tuition.

This project earned a 2009-10 Significant Achievement Award. Find additional information on the Rotary Club of Honolulu Sunrise website.