All three levels of Eton School participated in World Awareness Day on Nov. 17 by working to donate funds to three different organizations, all of which offer a sustainable approach to world poverty.

For pre-elementary, the assembly that day was the culminating ceremony for their efforts by Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF. They learned the small change they collected can make big differences in providing health care, nutrition, safe drinking water and education in developing countries. The pre-elementary children collected $1,100 for children half a world away.

Eton School lower-elementary classes kicked off their campaign “Pennies for Peace.” The students will be collecting donations the rest of this month and December to help with a non-profit Central Asia Institute (CAI). The CAI was co-founded by Greg Mortenson, whose experiences of establishing schools for children in Pakistan and Afghanistan are chronicled in the New York Times best selling book Three Cups of Tea: One Man’s Mission to Promote Peace … One School at a Time.

The upper-elementary students are participating by supporting the Heifer International Program. On Nov. 17 the students began a “jump-a-thon” where the students will jump rope and collect pledges based on the total length of time spent jumping. In addition the students are reading books about other countries and cultures to expand their awareness and understanding of our global community.

The Eton School Roots and Shoots students created a huge white dove they carried to celebrate World Awareness Day.

“If positive peace is practiced and taught, children are more likely to develop a strong sense of self and will feel that they belong and have a purpose,” said Kris Gaskins, Lower-elementary teacher.

“Children are better able to learn and become peaceful citizens of the world when their learning environment actively teaches the necessary skills it takes to be ambassadors of peace,” he added.