Event Central

In partnership with the Strong John Thomson Elementary School, a public International Baccalaureate school located in Ward 2 in Washington D.C., Plan International USA will be hosting aWalk4Wells event.

Walk4Wells (http://walk4wells.com/) is a signature event with a comprehensive curriculum that brings home the reality of the daily walk for water that women and girls make in developing countries. Students will plan a 5K walk in their community, take on the identity of a young person struggling to find water, and simulate the walk that millions of youth take each day. The event will be open to the larger community and students will raise money to build a well at one of six schools in communities where Plan works in Burkina Faso. Students participating in the walk will learn about water issues, gender inequality, climate change, and daily life for students in Burkina Faso, while directly helping students in Burkina Faso access clean water at their school. This activity is not only aligned with service requirements for 5th graders at Thomson Elementary School, but it aligns with the Obama Administrations priorities on women and girls, youth service, and healthy living.

Thomson Elementary School is a part of Plan International USAs network of youth and educators working to alleviate global poverty and promote global service. Founded in1869, Strong John Thomson Elementary prides itself on being a school for the Arts, Academics, and Diversity. Enrolling over 400 students today, the student body is one of the most diverse in the city with a population that is African, African-American, Asian, Caucasian, and Hispanic. Thomson Elementary was the first District of Columbia Public School to introduce Chinese Language Instruction, in addition to thefirst DCPS elementary school to become an International Baccalaureate (IB) Primary Years Programme World School. As an IB school, Thomson prepares students to beglobal citizens and active participants in a lifelong journey of learning.