FREMONT, Neb. (AP) - A new contest in Fremont is aimed at teaching children the value of giving back to their community.
The contest was launched by the Fremont Area Community Foundation with an eye toward expanding the culture of giving in the Fremont area, the Fremont Tribune reported (https://bit.ly/1itDsUf ).
“The contest is a great way to teach kids that they can make a difference in the community,” said Melissa Diers, the foundation’s executive director.
Diers said the foundation wanted to make students aware that they can be philanthropists even without an accumulation of wealth.
“It’s not just all about donating money,” Diers said. “It’s about donating energy and time and your talents to make a difference.”
In the contest, youths are asked to propose projects that could be completed within nine months and that will better the community. In communities where similar contests have been held, Diers said, projects have included literacy boxes and a child safety carnival.
The Fremont contest is divided into three school class groups: kindergarten through fourth grade, fifth through eighth grade and ninth through 12th grade.
One winner from each group will be selected and will be given a $1,000 grant from the foundation.
The winning youths will be matched up with area nonprofits or service clubs to help them turn their ideas into projects.
“We’re always trying to expand the culture of giving in the community,” Diers said. “If we can teach kids young to assume that responsibility to make a difference in the community, hopefully that’s a life lesson they’ll carry forward into adulthood.”
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Information from: Fremont Tribune, https://www.fremontneb.com
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