Classroom Care

Classroom Care is a non-profit organization and current club at Chatsworth Charter High School (CCHS) that utilizes communities of motivated students to work together in order to create seasonal gift bags for children at schools in low-income communities while making fun, kid-friendly Youtube videos that include craft tutorials, book readings, and entertaining games for the children to watch in class. I started Classroom Care during the summer of 2022 in order to spread joy to children in low-income communities. After completing my sophomore year of high school, I reflected on my past and remembered the many fond memories of my childhood that I currently hold onto. Because these memories have comforted me on my path towards adulthood, I believe that all children are deserving of creating special memories they can carry with them as they grow older, regardless of their family’s financial position. I reached out to my fellow students at CCHS to form a student-led board to help me run the Classroom Care club and by using Classroom Care’s Instagram account, I was able to generate interest in the club and find members who shared a common interest in helping younger generations. As Classroom Care grew, I raised funds from friends and family through Snap Raise and held fundraisers at local restaurants who gave the organization a percentage of the profits. I also created classroomcare.org, which allows more people to donate to the organization online. Due to the additional funding of over $4,000 raised, Classroom Care was able to expand its services into more classrooms, allowing more students to be included. Club members would also visit the students in person, first thing in the morning, before our high school opened at 10:00 am on Tuesdays. We would read books to the kids and bring craft projects to do with them. After Classroom Care’s first year, the club board decided to create a Youtube Channel in order to reach students that we were unable to visit in person, specifically because CCHS eliminated late-start Tuesdays which made it more difficult to do personal class visits. Each monthly video is dedicated to a holiday or season. Members in the videos are dressed according to that month’s theme, and they are filmed packing the students’ gifts, reading children’s books, making a no-bake treat, partaking in challenges, and walking the kids through a craft tutorial for a craft that each student receives beforehand in their gift package. The videos are designed to be played by the students’ teacher, who distributes our gift packages to them. To further expand Classroom Care, I wrote a children’s book, Peach Pit, that was inspired by the students I have met while visiting their classrooms. The kids get very excited when I read them stories, so I decided to write a book that they could enjoy and learn from. The book was released on Amazon in December of 2023 and 100% of the profits go towards Classroom Care. At UCLA, I would like to continue my passion for volunteer work for children and expand the organization's reach by generating a larger volume of club members who are also dedicated to making an impact in the lives of so many young students. I want to continue utilizing my creativity by filming and editing Youtube videos, creating media, and planning club events while also regularly visiting classrooms in person. With the combined efforts of UCLA students, Classroom Care can increase its influence and make use of the ideas of students from all different backgrounds.

http://classroomcare.org
classroomcarecorp@gmail.com

Signatories: Ellie Reddington, Emeline Lee, and Lauren Pun

Advisor: Pamela R Cysner