(Whitewater Middle School submission) Throughout the week of March 1st, sixth graders at Whitewater Middle School (WMS) have been making posters, flyers, and other promotional items to spread the word about the “Iron Giraffe Challenge” in an effort to bring clean and sustainable water access to areas in South Sudan.

This fundraising effort is an extension of a sixth grade Language Arts novel unit at WMS where they read and analyzed A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park.  Throughout the unit, students created water journals which students used to document their water usage and reflect on the idea of water conservation.

In Whitewater Middle School’s first year of participating in the Iron Giraffe Challenge in 2020, students raised $1,123, thus completing the challenge of raising $1,000. As a result, the school was entered to win a number of prizes. In year two, students are hopeful and optimistic that we can make it two years in a row of completing the challenge. For more information, please visit waterforsouthsudan.org or visit Whitewater Middle School’s donation page at classy.org/team/284892.