🐭 How Could "Mice Busters" Organize a Garden Fundraiser?
Our garden has faced significant challenges due to rodents. In response, we formed a group of fifth-grade volunteers called “Mice Busters.” It started with 30 members, with 4 to 8 learners from each class (five classes in total), and eventually expanded to 40 learners.
They mainly communicated how to save our garden from rodents via Schoology, the online school communication App on the School iPad, in their free time.
To learn more about the initial phase of this group, please refer to “Mice Busters: Fifth Graders Take On School Garden Crisis” in my last blog post.
In this post, I will share how our learners took initiative to operate the fundraiser.
Fundraiser Idea From a Group of Students
During recess, just before winter break, I was in the garden with some members of a group when they proposed holding a fundraiser to buy necessary items.
At first, I wasn’t very enthusiastic about the idea of organizing it, knowing it would require a lot of work. However, I encouraged them to create a presentation outlining their plans to gauge their true commitment to the project.
Two students shared their presentations on Canva, and we began collaborating to refine their ideas and discuss potential items to sell.
I suggested some changes to their presentations on Canva, and the students quickly made the necessary adjustments. Through this collaborative process, I began to feel that we could actually make it happen!
The Initial Ideas About What to Sell.
Creating Presentations, Flyers & Videos, and Making Announcements Utilizing Technology
During the winter break, some members initiated discussions about planning the fundraiser on Schoology. After many conversations, we decided to sell key tags, and some members suggested organizing a House competition. Choosing the prize was quite challenging; however, after reviewing several options, we agreed on a portable microscope as the prize.
One member dedicated herself to creating an impressive presentation for our fundraiser plan. We used her presentation to propose our idea to the leadership council. One of our members, who was also a leadership representative, presented it with the support of our principal during the meeting.
Examples of The Presentation Pages Used in Leadership Council Meeting.
Additionally, some members volunteered to design flyers using Canva to promote our fundraiser. During the week before the sale, some members worried that many learners were unaware of our event. Then, one of them generously offered to print additional flyers to hang around the school.
Fundraiser Flyers Created on Canva.
I was also pleasantly surprised when the students from Yellow House expressed their desire to make a video. Although they could only film during recess, they managed to complete it, and one of them edited the video using Clips in her free time. We had a lot of fun while filming, and the end result was a catchy and entertaining video for the kids.
The members in Yellow House created a promotional video using Clips.
A few members even stepped up to make announcements on the school broadcast.
The members made morning announcements with our principals.
In-Person Meetings
We also held in-person meetings occasionally during recess. Our school employs a unique system called the “vertical house system,” which includes students from all grades in each house. For example, Blue House accommodates students from kindergarten through fifth grade, and we have five houses in total: Blue, Yellow, Green, Red, and Purple.
Each house has designated times for recess and lunch, allowing all K-5 students in that house to enjoy these breaks together. As a result, each fifth-grade class has different recess and lunch times, making it challenging for them to meet as a whole group. This is why we found Schoology to be a powerful tool for communication.
However, in-person meetings were necessary to organize our fundraiser. On January 7, right after the winter break, we held meetings during each house’s recess to form teams and finalize the plans for the fundraiser. With only two weeks left until the sale, we had a tight schedule to work with.
Additionally, the school was closed for two days due to inclement weather, which limited our time to promote the sales. Despite this, the members of the team took the initiative and quickly identified what needed to be done. They demonstrated remarkable autonomy and dedication without needing to ask for direction.
In-person meetings in each House.
On January 14, the members painted a thank-you sign for the garden fence to hang the key tags. On January 21, two days before the fundraiser, we gathered to confirm the sales process.
Painting a thank you board during recess.
Key Tag Sales
During the sales days on January 23 and 24, the members ate lunch during recess and assisted with sales during lunch. I was pleased with their responsibility in managing all the meetings and sales.
As the sales went so well that we expected to sell out the key tags on the second day, we decided to take pre-orders. They communicated effectively with customers, particularly during the second day when they needed to explain the waitlist for the pre-order to the customers.
The teams had each role but were flexible in covering additional roles as needed. While we designated teams for fundraiser planning and creating flyers and posters, many members willingly undertook tasks beyond their specified roles. I am grateful for their teamwork, which contributed to the success of this fundraiser.
Members helped with the sales in each House.
Our initial goal was to raise $200, but we surpassed that target by raising a total of $334!
With these funds, we were able to purchase necessary items to keep rodents away from our garden, as well as a portable microscope that was given as a prize. The winners of the house competition, Green House, had the opportunity to use it first.
While their successful fundraising event had concluded, the team continued to focus on protecting our garden from rodents and sharing their activities with the community at the Earth Fest. Some members published newspapers and an ebook.
It was inspiring to see how they utilized various technologies to bring their plan to life.
In the next post, I will write about their continued efforts, the challenges we faced, and tips for making teamwork more effective.
Members and friends hung the key tags. We sold more than 300 key tags, but many customers chose to take them home rather than hang them on the fence!