Students Inspiring Students

On Tuesday, November 1st, the 5th grade at Bronxville Elementary School gathered together to have a little fun while also supporting our children in Tanzania through an annual lap-a-thon at their school. JBFC Founder and CEO, Chris Gates, was on the East Coast during this time and was able to be present for the event.

The weeks leading up to this day of fun had all of the 5th graders hitting their neighborhoods and streets, asking as many family members and friends as they could find to sponsor them in support of JBFC. And, their efforts paid off - the 5th grade raised over $2,300 in support of our school!


Before the fundraising began, however, it was all about education and learning about JBFC from their high school counterparts. Every year for the past 9 years, Bronxville High School has sent a group of adventurous students to our flagship campus in Tanzania. Many of these students have a life changing experience and wish to stay involved in JBFC throughout the year. This is why we created the JBFC Ambassador Program. These ambassadors wish to remain involved in JBFC and educate others within their communities about JBFC’s mission to alleviate extreme rural poverty in Tanzania.

In early October, the Bronxville JBFC Ambassadors, along with their chaperone, JBFC Board Chair, Jim Agnello, presented to the entire 5th grade about their experiences at JBFC in July, and about the various ways JBFC works with children in Tanzania. Excited by seeing what their high school friends were able to do in Tanzania, these 5th graders left the presentation inspired and eager to do what they could to help JBFC’s school - and the results were clearly amazing!

This is what’s great about JBFC - from our founding story to our volunteer program, every single person has the ability to make a wave of change across an entire community. So often, people, especially younger children, don’t think they can make a true impact on the lives of those around them, let alone the lives of other living thousands of miles away. But, that is exactly what this 5th grade class has done. They are impacting the lives of our students from halfway around the world!

Thank you to all the teachers, families, and most importantly, the 5th grade students at Bronxville School for your hard work in this year’s lap-a-thon.

If you are inspired by what these 5th graders have accomplished and what to find out what you, your school, or your community can do to make a similar impact on JBFC’s campus, please contact us as: info@jbfc-online.org.