Parents are integral to the success of a Students Helping Students program. Either by supporting your child's project or by serving as a role model for young social entrepreneurs, you can help ensure that your child gains the most out of his/her project.

Raising the Next Generation of Problem Solvers

Jodie Rasch of Bethesda, Maryland, and Beth Sackstein of Sudbury, Massachusetts, are sisters whose children spearheaded a creative fundraising effort that generated US$200,000 to rebuild schools in Sri Lanka after the 2004 tsunami (read more about their fundraising campaign in this case study).

Jodie's 10-year-old son Jacob and Beth's 12-year-old twins, Danielle and David, were moved to act when they saw television coverage of the devastating event. By coincidence, they were all together on a holiday vacation. "We saw children our age and younger being hurt, their communities and homes being destroyed. We thought it was our obligation to help," explains David. "We knew we were going to make an effort, and we wanted to find a way to get other kids involved in helping," adds Jacob. "You can't just stand by and feel terrible," adds Danielle.

From Idea to Action

Their mothers literally watched the process unfold. The three children huddled in the kitchen and brainstormed a product idea and a fundraising plan. "My sister and I watched them come up with the whole concept. One contributed an idea, then another added to it," says Jodie. In almost no time, their children had moved from being concerned about a disaster to having a plan for action. "It was so wonderful-a chance for our two families to work together, for their two schools to work together, and for all of us to be part of something greater than ourselves," says Beth.

The children started with a few specific requirements. Their product needed to be affordable yet appealing to young people. They also wanted it to be a symbol of caring, so that supporters would have a tangible reminder that they had helped to make a difference. Building on the popularity of the Lance Armstrong "Live Strong" cancer awareness bands, they decided to sell colorful rubber wristbands imprinted with the words "Relief, Rebuild, Restore-Schools Helping Schools." The profits would benefit Room to Read's school rebuilding efforts in tsunami-afflicted Sri Lanka. "It seemed like the perfect fit," says Jacob. "We would be schools helping other schools."

The group brainstorming process was powerful - and the first of many life lessons to emerge from this shared experience. "By working together, they realized they could come up with an even better idea than any one of them could have thought of alone," reflects Beth. Almost immediately, the idea caught the public's attention and quickly grew to a scale none of the family members could have imagined.

Making a Difference

What motivated these young people to act? And how did their parents support the effort?

"In our family, it's in our bloodline to give back," explains Beth, an attorney who has also been an advocate for the homeless. "Our children have grown up with the idea that you can't just sit around. You have to do something to make change. If they can inspire other kids to be part of something bigger than themselves, then they should use their talents to do that."

This project was so successful that Jacob wound up describing the wristband project to a room of 50 adults gathered for a Congressional caucus on human rights. "The adults were so impressed that these kids were able to get this done," Jodie says, recalling the Capitol Hill gathering. "They were inspired by the simplicity of the idea. Some adults told Jacob that they had grand ideas to help after the tsunami, but they weren't able to implement them. From small steps, these kids were able to accomplish something significant."

Next: How Parents Can Help