Mercer Island students raise funds for hurricane relief

Students in the West Mercer Elementary Highly Capable Program used their November Marketplace commerce event as a way to raise funds for the relief efforts of Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria. The students and families raised $1,820 to support victims of the horrific hurricanes.

Students began the process by investigating charitable organizations that were helping out hurricane survivors. Next, they evaluated each group based on its charity navigator rating, how the charities pledged to use funds to help hurricane victims and the history of each organization.

This was the 40th Market Place for the West Mercer Highly Capable Program. Three times a year students in grades three to five in the program create products, design advertisements and manage books for a simulated company they create. This form of project-based learning connects math, reading, writing and public speaking into dynamic events that are some of the highlights of the year. This time the students not only had a chance to learn, but an opportunity to make a difference in the world as well.

Their teachers, David Baxter, Mark Headlee and Kirsten Bourke, were proud of the creative products students made for the market, along with their enthusiasm for helping others. The team was also grateful for the overwhelming support from families.