Striding For Hope: A Race for Hope in Kenya

You’ve heard of a Senior Thesis, or similar graduation requirement done in a student’s final year of school. At CCES, the Sophomore Project requirement fulfills a similar role to that of the Senior Thesis. It entails a student-choice topic aligned with the study of world literature and global issues. The project is required of all students, has an oral component to it, and serves as a remarkable opportunity for students to choose a topic to explore while carrying out an extensive research plan. Students embark on this journey as freshman and present their projects halfway through their sophomore year.

This year, individual research projects on international topics ranged from The Rise and Fall of Isis, to the Syrain Refugee Crisis, Crime and Punishment, to Teens in the Digital Era. Sophomore Porter Brown chose to bring awareness to the orphan crisis in Kenya (about 2.6 million children are currently orphans in Kenya). Porter focused on an orphanage he visited in 2014 on a mission trip with his family called, Naomi’s Village. The mission of the orphanage is to raise the children to return to Kenya, become leaders, and contribute to the eventual end of the orphan crisis. Porter said, “I have wanted to help make a change ever since my trip there. This particular orphanage has currently rescued 81 children. The children receive adequate nourishment, a home, spiritual care, an excellent education, and access to healthcare.”

Sophomore Chapman Mann also focused his project on Kenya, zeroing in on malaria. Present in all areas of Kenya, malaria is an epidemic and having treated mosquito nets are vital in the fight. Chapman endeavored to educate our community about this crisis and the necessity of mosquito nets, particularly for families with infants or young children who are easily able to catch malaria due to a weakened immune system.

The students took their projects a step further and combined efforts to raise awareness for both issues. They went to a Lower School chapel and made personal visits to Lower School classes to teach students about both the orphan crisis and the malaria epidemic. To wrap it all up, they planned a Fun Run on campus last Friday afternoon for Lower School students. There was an option to support the cause financially, but regardless, every child participated in the Fun Run.

Our Lower School teachers were able to give Chapman and Porter an audience for their cause. In turn, the sophomores gave self-assured, articulate presentations, fully engaging their younger peers. Remarkably, when asked during the fun run why they were there the young students could articulate a lot about Kenya, the orphan crisis, and the malaria epidemic.

The poise of our students as they present their Sophomore Projects is developed over an entire CCES education. Students gain confidence early on in the Lower and Middle Schools and it translates to a comfort level in speaking in front of others, a skill which will serve them well throughout their lives.

Congratulations to Porter, Chapman, and the entire Class of 2020 for the completion of this CCES milestone!

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