HOPE has been working with secondary schools and thousands of students all across Ireland since 2003 through fundraising and awareness programmes.
Many schools have a strong tradition of facilitating charity work and we are fortunate to be invited to speak in schools all around the country about our work in Kolkata.
Our popular School Immersion Programme sees hundreds of students and teachers travel to Kolkata every year for one week for a cultural and educational tour.
The Global Goals, also known as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), are a universal call to action by all 193 member states of The United Nations. They provide an interconnected framework that can help us all work towards a more just, healthier, and prosperous society for everyone, everywhere.
Through school talks and our School Immersion Programme, The Hope Foundation use the Global Goals to demonstrate who we are as an organization, what we do, why we do it, and how small actions can lead to significant change.
While all 17 goals interconnect, The Hope Foundation’s work primarily focuses on the below goals.
GOAL 1
NO
POVERTY
GOAL 2
ZERO
HUNGER
End hunger, achieve food security & improved nutrition & promote sustainable agriculture
GOAL 3
GOOD HEALTH & WELL-BEING
GOAL 4
QUALITY EDUCATION
Ensure inclusive & equitable quality education & promote lifelong learning opportunities for all
GOAL 5
GENDER EQUALITY
GOAL 6
CLEAN WATER & SANITATION
GOAL 8
ECONOMIC GROWTH
Promote sustained, inclusive & sustainable economic growth, full & productive employment & decent work for all
GOAL 10
REDUCED INEQUALITIES
GOAL 17
PARTNERSHIPS FOR THE GOALS
Strengthen the means of implementation & revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development
Our work with students also expands to our HOPE School Immersion Programme. Led by teachers, volunteers and HOPE staff, Transition Year and 5th Year students travel to Kolkata for one week for a cultural and educational tour of Kolkata and the HOPE projects.
To participate, students fundraise a substantial, yet achievable sum, which will be donated to our HOPE Projects. In Kolkata, students witness how their local fundraising efforts are helping to contribute to global change.
A week-long programme is prepared for students, who spend time visiting HOPE projects, interacting with children and adolescents who are in HOPE supported projects, and immersing themselves in Indian culture.
Supported throughout their time in India, students are introduced to the realities of poverty, street children and the joy of HOPE.
HOPE aim for all our participants to return as not only ambassadors for HOPE, but global citizens; aware of others, different cultures, new perspectives, and the small, yet significant, steps we can take to help each other out.
Students and schools participating on the Immersion Programme are fully supported by The Hope Foundation, with a dedicated Group Leader, structured orientation process and advice on fundraising every step of the way.
Through achieving ambitious fundraising targets, these young adults are an essential element of The Hope Foundation’s fundraising activities each year, and are directly responsible for more than half of the charity’s annual fundraising which goes directly to over 60 projects in Kolkata.
Through our school talks, students learn about the root causes of poverty, as well as the work we do to help break the systematic cycle of inequality.
HOPE have over 60 projects operating in Kolkata under our 5 main programme areas or child protection, education, healthcare, vocational training and emergency response. It is through these projects that we work to achieve our mission:
“A world where it should never hurt to be a child”
Week of HOPE is a major fundraiser on our calendar each October, where students and volunteers around the country hit the streets to raise awareness and raise funds by selling our Butlers HOPE chocolate bars with the message ‘every €2 counts’.
As we grow this event, we need more and more helpers to get out there and make some noise!
If you with your friends, family or school would like to volunteers to help out on the day, please get in touch today. Spreading awareness of HOPE and selling chocolate bars and is what it’s all about.
Contact: schools@hopefoundation.ie
The Wellbeing module in Junior Cycle (which incorporates traditionally taught subjects SPHE, PE and CSPE) aims to provide students a strong sense of connectedness to the school, their community, society and the wider environment.
A representative from HOPE is available to talk with any school, teacher or student that wishes to learn more about HOPE’s work as part of their Junior Cycle studies.
Click this link to download our Teachers Resource Guide on the global issue of child labour:[download id=”41103″]
YSI is Ireland‘s largest social awareness and active citizenship and education programme for 15-18 year old teens.
YSI involves thousands of young people in Ireland each year in hundreds of projects and social enterprises which are youth-led, team-based and action-focused.
If you’re interested doing a project based on the social issues faced by The Hope Foundation in India, please get in touch with our schools team: schools@hopefoundation.ie.
You may also consider hosting a school fundraiser in aid of the Hope Foundation. Some ideas include: cake sales, non-uniform days, talent show, table quiz, jersey days, and Christmas carol singing. The Hope Foundation would be happy to provide some literature for display and handing out on the day, including posters, our annual report, our newsletter and information on child sponsorship and so forth.