Teachers from Georgia, Oregon, Alabama, Texas and Michigan Travel to Tanzania to see UNICEF's Lifesaving Work for Children

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NEW YORK, May 15, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Five elementary school teachers from across the U.S. have been named Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF School Challenge winners and will travel to Tanzania in July to see UNICEF's programs for children in action. The School Challenge is part of an effort to support educators in teaching children about the needs of their peers in other countries and about the importance of giving.

Audrey Hughes of Athens, GA, Amy McKean of Tigard, OR, Kathy Perkins of Tuscaloosa, AL, Julie Vangroll of Harker Heights, TX and Candace Voigt of Lansing, MI won the first nationwide Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF School Challenge by sharing the creative ways their students participated in the campaign to help their peers around the world. Each teacher helped encourage global citizenship in the classroom in the following ways:

• Audrey Hughes' 6^th graders on the Hilsman Middle School Science and Energy team collected and sold recyclables throughout the year, donating the earnings to UNICEF. They also hosted three recycling drives with funds donated to support the campaign. (Athens, GA)
• In addition to trick-or-treating, Amy Mckean's 5^th graders at Alberta Rider Elementary School planned and executed a student talent show with proceeds supporting UNICEF. (Tigard, OR)
• Kathy Perkins' 5th grade class at Verner Elementary School raised awareness of UNICEF's work with their peers through student "ambassadors," held a car wash and created and sold rubber band bracelets at school to raise funds for the campaign. (Tuscaloosa, AL)
• Julie Vangroll's 5th grade class at Mountain View Elementary School founded the H.O.P.E (Helping Other People Everywhere) club and formed student committees to help collect school funds and promote awareness of UNICEF's work. They also encouraged their peers to Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF and have since participated in several other service projects. (Harker Heights, TX)
• Beyond raising funds, Candace Voigt of the Montessori Children's House taught her pre-k and kindergarten students about UNICEF's efforts to provide children with clean water. Voigt also integrated the signature Kids Helping Kids® theme in the classroom year-round. (Lansing, MI)

"In my classroom, global issues affecting young people and UNICEF's work to address them have become an integral part of school learning throughout the year, helping children establish a heartfelt connection to the concept of kids helping kids," said Candace Voigt, whose class chose to donate their School Challenge $1,000 cash grant back to the U.S. Fund for UNICEF. "I am grateful for the opportunity to share what our school community and my classroom is inspired to do for UNICEF."

The five winners will see firsthand several UNICEF programs for children in Tanzania focused on early childhood education, including teacher training; life skills education; clean water, sanitation and hygiene promotion in schools; and HIV prevention programs, among others. 

This year's new School Challenge will provide 15 grand prize winners with the opportunity to bring UNICEF's work to their classroom through $1,000 Global Citizenship Technology Grants. All entrants will be asked to describe how they would advance global citizenship in their classroom if they won the grant. To be eligible to win, an entrant must be a teacher of grades K-8 and submit his or her Trick-or-Treat donations to the U.S. Fund for UNICEF by Dec. 1, 2014. Entries will be evaluated by a panel of judges with winners announced in February 2015.

The U.S. Fund for UNICEF is also developing a new series of lesson plans to aid teachers in promoting global citizenship among students that will be available this summer.

Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF—the original Kids Helping Kids® campaign—is one of the longest-running youth volunteer initiatives in America. The campaign is an easy way for children to learn about their peers in other countries. In its 64-year history the Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF campaign has raised more than $172 million to support UNICEF's work in providing medicine, clean water, nutrition, education, emergency relief and more. The campaign owes its success not only to the children, but to parents and educators who have participated. To learn more visit www.trickortreatforunicef.org. Join the conversation on Twitter using the hashtag #TOT4UNICEF.

About UNICEF
The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) works in more than 190 countries and territories to save and improve children's lives, providing health care and immunizations, clean water and sanitation, nutrition, education, emergency relief, and more. The U.S. Fund for UNICEF supports UNICEF's work through fundraising, advocacy, and education in the United States. Together, we are working toward the day when ZERO children die from preventable causes and every child has a safe and healthy childhood.

SOURCE U.S. Fund for UNICEF