Krista Corner Havre Daily News kcorner@havredailynews.com
Havre Public Schools' Students United for New Success program at Robbins School recently helped students collect pennies to help pay for education expenses in Pakistan and Afghanistan as part of the national Pennies for Peace program. Tuesday, May 6, the students accompanied their U.S. government teacher Debbie Kirby to Bear Paw Credit Union with jugs of pennies to cash in. The pennies collected totaled almost $750, which is enough in Pakistan and Afghanistan to pay a teacher's salary for one year and for seven students' school supplies for the year. The S.U.N.S. class went to each school in the district asking for donations. Each school kept a water jug for pennies. Lincoln-McKinley Primary School collected the most with their total of $335.35. "I was impressed that the Lincoln- McKinley second- and third-graders gave more pennies than almost all the other schools combined," S.U.NS. student Cassie Phifer said. Highland Park Nor th Ear l y Primary School contributed $66.75, Highland Park South Early Primary School contributed $104.05, students at Sunnyside Intermediate Elementary brought in $80.97, Havre Middle School students gave $26.32 to the project and Havre High School students paid in $128.83 for a total of $742.27 going to e d u c a t i o n i n Pa k i s t a n a n d Afghanistan. Two S.U.N.S. students said they thought very highly of the project they helped begin. "I thought it was a great project because it provides education for Pakistanis," Seth Handy said. "This was an awesome project to participate in since everyone can contribute pennies and the result is that schools are built," Chris Walter said. All in all, Kirby and her class dubbed the project's first year successful, and she said she plans to expand the project next year to include service organizations and possibly businesses. Pennies for Peace is a non-profit organization dedicated to educating American children about the world and shows them how they can make a difference one penny at a time. The program encourages young Americans to be active in the creation of global peace. Educators can register to participate in the Pennies for Peace program by completing the registration form found online at www.penniesforpeace.org. Pennies for Peace is part of the larger nonprofit organization the Central Asia Institute, formed by Bozeman native Greg Mortenson and Dr. Jean Hoerni, a Swiss physicist. After climbing the world's second largest mountain, K2 in Afghanistan, Mortenson recovered in a remote village where young children wrote in dirt with sticks. He promised to build them a school. With that promise, Mortenson launched the humanitarian effort Pennies for Peace, dedicated to literacy and education for children in remote, volatile areas of Pakistan and Afghanistan. Mortenson also co-wrote "Three Cups of Tea," a New York Times best-seller.
