It's all part of a youth empowerment program to help students develop leadership skills and understand how laws are made.
Raisin City 7th grader Jose Pineda is a small town kid with big dreams of traveling to the White House and meeting the president. "I want to go because I want to experience how it is in Washington D.C., learn the history of the United States and see all the great things they have there."
He, and most of his classmates in the small Central Valley farming community, come from families who work the fields. Director of special projects Anna Ramirez said many of them have never visited the nation's capital, left California, or even set foot on a plane. "We have a lot of students that don't have transportation. Our superintendent is wonderful, he works as a taxi driver as well and gives rides to students that otherwise can't come to school to pick them up."
She says this summer seven students have the opportunity to visit Washington D.C. through a leadership program called World Strides. Over the course of five days, the group will have the opportunity to see the Senate and House chambers, learn about the executive branch of government, and visit places like the Arlington National Cemetery and Smithsonian Museum.
The only problem is, it's going to take about $15-thousand dollars for the students to get there.
They've mailed letters, sold beef jerky -- one family even stayed up all night to make 12-hundred tamales and hand deliver them, but so far the group has only raised about $2-thousand.
They are now reaching out to families outside of the city to ask for help in giving these students the gift of education.
The deadline to raise enough funds is May 15th. The trip is in June.
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If you would like to help,
Make check Payable to:
Raisin City Elementary School
6425 W Bowles, Raisin City, CA 93652
Or call:
Nancy Schwabenland
Trip Organizer
Phone: (559) 974-0350
Email: 1schwabie@msn.com
The Deadline is May 15
