More Brilliant Ideas

When you and your students decide to help others in your community and around the world, the results can be bountiful. All you need is creativity, planning and some hard work. Benefit your community, gain a sense of accomplishment and empower students with the knowledge that their actions can truly make a difference.

Below is a list of activities for you and your students that relates to the work of Heifer International and sustainable development. You may choose to implement some of these ideas, or just refer to them as inspiration for your own. Below, we outline other potential activities for your class in greater detail.

Hunger Challenge
Classes challenge each other to see who can raise the most money – or most animals – for Heifer, over a period of time. Each class is responsible for creatively designing the way it will raise funds. Another class can track the tallies for each and announce them over the intercom each week, and the student newspaper can write stories on the fundraising efforts. A community business may be recruited to offer a prize to the winning class, or students may be rewarded with some sort of extra credit, etc.

Culture Day
Each grade level or class picks any region or country to study (as long as it is home to one or more Heifer projects). The students then research this country, paying attention to its demographics, clothing, religion and other points of interest, as well as Heifer’s work within it. The school can have a Culture Day, during which the different regions or countries are presented and the students share what they have learned.

This could be a school-wide event during school hours only, or an event held after hours and open to the community. Students accept donations for Heifer as admission, or the day could serve as purely an educational experience.

Heifer Challenge
Motivate and excite young people in your school or community by challenging a political figure or local celebrity to kiss a pig or milk a goat if students raise a certain amount in donations for Heifer. Learn more about Heifer Challenge.

Animal Tree
For the holiday season, students could create an “animal tree”. The students can design and sell animal ornaments to raise money for Heifer.

Heifer International Festival
The school or grade hosts a festival with food and music from around the world and a silent auction to which local businesses donate items.

Heifer 5K run/walk - Run for Hunger - "Jog for a Hog."
Students pick a course and a date and then advertise their race, with proceeds going to Heifer. Funds can be raised through sponsors, the selling of T-shirts or the collecting of entry fees from runners.

Book Exchange/Sale
Kids and their families gather up old children’s books and bring them to the “trading center.” Each child can then purchase any book for 25 or 50 cents, with proceeds going toward the total amount raised for Heifer Animals.

Cans 4 Cows
If the local recycling center pays for recyclable materials, encourage students and families to gather recyclables for cash. Proceeds can be used to purchase animals through Heifer.