Seven Hills’ all-school effort for Unified for UNIFAT Connie Ring (center) and Abitimo Odongkara with members of the Seven Hills U4U Executive Board: (front) Co-Vice President Brian Collette, President Linnea Head, Co-Vice President Ellen Coombe; Moderator Nate Gleiner, Treasurer Katie Cirulli, Co-Outreach Coordinator Kayla Kavanaugh, Co-Outreach Coordinator Aditi Varshneya, and Secretary Claire Duncan.
An effort which started with a student and a math teacher at Moeller High School to make a difference in the lives of children in war-torn Northern Uganda is spreading at Seven Hills. Unified for UNIFAT (unifiedforunifat.com), which began in 2005, successfully joins the fundraising and awareness raising efforts of local students with the children served by UNIFAT (United Nile Institute for Appropriate Technology) School in Northern Uganda. The Upper School committed to the U4U effort last spring when Moeller math teacher and U4U Director Connie Ring gave the keynote address at Upper’s Global Education Day. English teacher and Upper Equity and Justice Coordinator Nate Gleiner said, “In response to Connie’s visit, Seven Hills formed its own chapter of Unified for UNIFAT (U4U), becoming the 17th high school in the region to join in sponsoring and supporting over 100 students at UNIFAT School. To show his support for the chapter, U4U founder Will Tardio visited a chapter meeting in May. In just under a month, Seven Hills students raised over $2000.”
faculty. Plans are underway to include the Middle and Lower School students in Seven Hills’ U4U effort, making Seven Hills the first school to involve younger students in U4U.
On September 22, UNIFAT founder Abitimo Odongkara and Connie Ring were guest speakers at a special assembly for Upper and Middle students organized by the Executive Board of the Seven Hills U4U chapter. Later that day, the speakers gave a presentation for Doherty and Lotspeich
“In addition, the Upper School U4U Outreach Coordinators attended the Middle School U4U chapter meeting, as well as committee meetings in Lotspeich and Doherty to plan upcoming events and fundraisers for the UNIFAT students whom Doherty and Lotspeich sponsor.”
“On October 5 members of both the Upper and Middle U4U chapters met in the Donovan Arts Center to participate in Re-Leaf for UNIFAT,” said Nate Gleiner. “Led by art teacher Diane Kruer, who generously donated materials and supplies, Middle and Upper Schoolers made clay leaves to be sold later in the year. All of the proceeds from the sale will go directly toward sponsorship of UNIFAT students.
In addition to raising funds to sponsor UNIFAT students (a $300 sponsorship provides a child with a uniform, books, shoes, tuition, and a meal a day for a year), Seven Hills is raising funds toward the purchase of a motorbike to assist in the transportation of mentors who support secondary school students who are U4U-sponsored graduates of UNIFAT School.
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