Harlem Girls to Europe

I'm a teacher at an all-girls school that serves primarily low-income families in East Harlem. Our school has an excellent success record, even though many of the girls are overcoming heartbreakingly difficult circumstances to achieve. They are heroic in their determination. As part of the school’s effort to provide academic excellence and enrichment not otherwise available to them, I am planning to take some of these remarkable young women on a trip to London and Paris in the summer of 2014.  

Many families attended an information session at the school, and 25 students are now enrolled. They are overflowing with excitement, and have come up with a variety of ways to provide money for the trip (finding jobs, sacrificing birthday and holiday gifts and asking for funding instead, holding bake sales, etc.). Their families are contributing as much as they can, even though the trip is generally beyond their means. 

I'd like to ease the financial burden on my students and their families as much as possible. The enthusiasm for world travel that these young women have displayed since I announced the trip has been truly inspiring. Most of them have never been abroad—and none to Europe—and many have never been out of the tri-state area. The trip is for some of them the chance of a lifetime.  The actual cost of the trip for the group is $100,000, or roughly $4,000 per student. Our goal for this site is to raise $8,000. Any funds raised will go directly to the students in support of their travel. Thank you for considering!