Beyond Borders is trying to raise a lofty goal of $150,000 for its program and local charities this year with a gala students are organizing.
Unlike previous years, 40 per cent of the money raised will go back into the program so students wouldn’t have to pay the semester fee. The other 60 per cent of the money raised will be split evenly among charities.
Students plan to reach the $150,000 goal through their gala called Imagine. The gala will be hosted at the River Run Centre on Jan. 21, tickets are $75.
Charities this year are the Children’s Foundation Guelph and Wellington, Guelph General Hospital, David Suzuki Foundation and Make Your Mark.
The Beyond Borders program has 43 Grade 12 students from across Guelph schools this semester. Instead of taking regular course curriculum at their home schools. During the school hours at Beyond Borders students learn business oriented skills, leadership, economics, world issues and get to apply their knowledge travelling to places like New York and Toronto.
Mike Parsons, started the Beyond Borders program in 2012 after working with an overseas program he wanted to try it out in Guelph, but have it more approachable with a lesser cost.
“We're running it like a business. So everyone has a different role. There's management positions, and such. And we're trying to raise as much money as possible,” said Mary Brander, a Grade 12 student at John F. Ross High School.
Brander is the chief editor and is in charge of emails, written content about Beyond Borders and deals with the media.
She said this program has made her gain confidence and she is able to answer questions from the media, whereas a couple of months ago she couldn’t have imagined herself doing what she is doing now.
The culminating project is the gala, where students work all semester to put it together and the last six weeks of the program is crunch time.
The gala will have appetizers, drinks, a silent auction, 50/50 draw, speeches and musical acts.
Students hope to sell 700 tickets to the event, Brander said.
Hoping to beat last year's funds raised of $129,000 and give the charities a huge cheque, “would just be awesome,” said Brander.
“So first focus area is leadership development, but the way that we try and really get to that is connecting the community and, and experiential learning. So everything they're learning about is going to have some sort of attachment to the community,” said Parsons.
“So the gala is a great opportunity just to connect with people that first hour,” he said.
The hope this year is to be able to offer the Beyond Borders program for free or relatively close to no cost to students, Parsons said.
“Getting corporate sponsorship and other ways that we can bring in funds. And part of it being, the event this year to keep us running and make it accessible for all students because at the beginning of all this that was what I had in mind, and we don't want anybody to miss out,” said Parsons.
