What would you do with $1.00? Students at North Branford High School know exactly what they would do – they would GIVE BIG. That’s right. For the third time since 2010, students are participating in the “Big Give,” a project that challenges students to make a symbolic dollar “grow” through creative fundraising efforts.

The Big Give, led by faculty members Stephanie Byrd and Jessica Barbato, is modeled after Oprah Winfrey’s 2008 initiative. Students embarked upon the same challenge in 2010, when they turned $58.00 into $10000.00 for twenty local, national, and global charities and was even awarded a Challenge to Educational Citizenship Award from the State Student Advisory Council on Education and Connecticut’s Commissioner of Education. In 2012, they raised an astounding $18000.00 for worthy organizations and causes.

This year, the list of causes and organizations is diverse. Students are raising money for the March of Dimes, a local horse rescue, Matt’s Mission Fund, epilepsy research, and more than a dozen other organizations. Miss Byrd, who has led the project since 2010, believes that this project, along with so many others at the high school, is a true reflection of the school’s mission: “At NBHS, we stress the importance of civic and social responsibility; the Big Give is a perfect opportunity for the students to engage in a project that allows them to pay it forward and give back.”

For approximately twelve weeks, the students (working individually or in small teams) will come up with creative ways to fundraise. Additionally, the students will reach out to local businesses and organizations, families, friends, neighbors, and anyone else who wants to help them GIVE BIG. Miss Barbato, Student Council advisor at North Branford High School, is joining the project for the first time: “I am proud to be working with 20 teams of students raising money for charities. I am very excited about the students’ creativity and efforts with fundraising and I am eager to see their hard work pay off.”

For more information, a list of charities, or to make a donation to North Branford High School’s Big Give, please contact Stephanie Byrd at sbyrdnorthbranfordschoolsorg or Jessica Barbato at jbarbatonorthbranfordschoolsorg or by calling (203) 484-1465.

Story by Pam Johnson, Senior Staff Writer, Shoreline Newspapers