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Week 1: Launching Power of Half Schools
Posted by Kevin Salwen on 03.15.2011Share

We make no secret that our family is more affluent than most. But since we embarked on our Power of Half program, we've realized that the principles of sharing and empowerment work at all income levels.

When we launched the Giving Changes Everything program at Bear Creek Middle School, we figured the kids there would be able to change their lives through sharing despite their poverty. The seven weeks of programming have been carefully planned out.

But we certainly didn't expect things to shift so quickly.

We finished the first week's programming last week, one in which Hannah and I spoke about our family story. Then, just two days later, we got this great note from a teacher, Tunisha Ferguson, about a student in her class:

"I am writing to let you know that The Power of Half has made its way into my classroom. As our final 9-week performance task, the students are to write a letter to a major organization supporting their anti-smoking campaign. I have one student who has not really worked in my class this nine weeks. However, when he heard your daughter Hannah speak he made a connection to what your family was speaking about to his assignment. His exact words were: 'So, you are asking me to do what Hannah did -- start a movement about anti-smoking.'

I just want to personally thank you because you did make a difference in one student's mind. Keep paying it forward with the Power of Half."

Thanks Ms. Ferguson. We've just begun.

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