Academy for Educational Development

Washington, D.C., October 19, 2004 — Several national and regional educational organizations have signed on to promote the AED Orphan Support Pack Project to schools and colleges throughout the United States.

The AED Orphan Support Pack Project will provide urgently needed caregiver support services and care items initially to 1,000 children under age five affected by AIDS in Kenya.

Partner organizations are the National Education Association, National Association of Secondary School Principals, National Association of Elementary School Principals, New England Association of Schools and Colleges, American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education, National Service Learning Partnership, and Campus Compact, a college service learning group. Practiced in a third of the nation’s public schools, service learning incorporates projects that address community needs as part of student’s academic studies. Scholastic, Inc. will also promote the AED Orphan Support Pack Project in its publications, which go to classrooms across the country.

Each pack costs $100 and includes a prepaid card good for full immunizations, as well as preschool fees, weekly home visits by a trained community mentor, participation in a caregiver support group for one year, along with other items.

Interested school communities may consider integrating the initiative into their fund-raising efforts, holiday charitable projects or service-learning activities, in which students learn about the culture, history and people of Kenya.

Recently, the Interact Club of Princeton High School in Princeton, New Jersey raised $900 for the AED Orphan Support Pack by selling items donated from the community.

The AED Orphan Support Pack Project is the newest initiative of AED’s Change Through Children campaign. For more information, please visit www.changethroughchildren.aed.org/orphansupport.

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