"I’ve never been able to feel I could actually do good in the world. Now I can see that I can”, says Katie Troxell after returning from a trip to Nepal. She was part of a group who helped complete a three-room classroom for 84 students who only had occasional lessons under a tree before. The government had committed to supply two trained teachers if the community could manage to get a school built. It's magical when U.S. high school students can see what they can do, with just $1.
"One Dollar for Life" - service learning for high school students
"One Dollar for Life" or ODFL is a nonprofit organization that builds schools and other educational infrastructure projects in the developing world by collecting just $1 from millions of U.S. high school students. ODFL was founded in 2006 by history teacher Robert Freeman and science teacher Lisa Bolton at Los Altos High School in California. It has been recognized for extraordinary achievements locally and abroad. The idea was born when students told their teachers they wanted to make a difference, yet felt overwhelmed by the problems of the world. They started looking for a project that students could run. Since they could not find anything meeting their criteria, they founded their own: ODFL is now a registered nonprofit and a national program.
One person makes a difference by giving just $1
ODFL became a reality when students began campaigning within Los Altos High School through a class-to-class speaking tour in 2007. They raised $9,000, which was enough to build a one-room school for 45 students in the village of Naro Moru in Kenya. To build the school ODFL partnered with SEANet, a small NGO registered in Kenya with a good track record. The cost of $9,000 is small by U.S. standards. Many high school students drive cars that cost a lot more. It was amazing for the students to see what $9,000 could accomplish in Kenya, especially when using local labor and materials.
How does ODFL work?
ODFL helps students at American high schools run fundraisers in which they ask each student to give just $1. ODFL takes these funds and combines them with other schools’ funds to pay for its projects. Each school is able to follow the progress of its funds to see how they have helped. ODFL offers an electronic fundraising kit on its website including instructions, tools, and procedures for conducting a high-quality, successful fundraiser. High school teachers interested in executing an ODFL fundraiser can take a course titled "Service Learning: Putting Theory into Practice" through the University of San Diego and earn credits towards continuing education requirements.
Ongoing ODFL projects
In 2011 ODFL plans to
- build a computer lab for an all-girls high school in Mathaithi, Kenya
- rebuild SOPUDEP school in Haiti, that was destroyed in the 2010 earhquake
- build a school and community center in Desa Ban, an isolated mountain village in Bali, Indonesia
- build a school in San Ramon, Nicaragua
- build a high school for a small village in Manyesa, Malawi
Every year, ODFL sends high school students overseas on a summer service trip to help complete projects. Typically a group of 12-14 students travels with adult chaperones for two to three weeks. Participants pay for their own travel expenses. Los Altos High School teacher Lisa Bolton, who has accompanied several trips, said that although there is a language barrier, the emotional connections made with host families are strong. Students return from the service trips feeling that they are making a difference in the world.
"People Are Made Bigger By Helping Others"
ODFL's motto is "Bigger People, Better World." Students who contribute feel bigger by helping others, whether it is through organizing a fundraiser, going on a service trip or contributing $1. All the dollars combined have a pretty big impact to improve the world. "One Dollar for Life" was named the "Outstanding Youth Philanthropy of the Year" by the Silicon Valley Association of Fundraising Professionals in 2009.
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