New Horizon’s Team Kids Leadership Team raised over $1,300
for Make A Wish Foundation!
Irvine, CA – June 12, 2009 – New Horizon students exceed all 4-week goals in the Team Kids Challenge!

Approximately 200 students at Irvine’s New Horizon Elementary celebrated their recent humanitarian successes at a kid-made school-wide carnival on Thursday, June 11. These generous students spent an entire month taking action upon issues of homelessness, literacy, hunger and the environment, exceeding all four goals presented by Team Kids Challenge Program. New Horizon students raised cash and donated goods with a total value of over $5,000 to benefit other children and families in need. Even more importantly, students learned more about the power they have to make a difference!
More than forty students in grades four through six volunteered weekly over their lunch recess to serve on the Team Kids Leadership Team. These students worked with Team Kids staff and partners from Irvine Police Department to plan all the carnival games and host the celebration for their younger students. Students learned about teamwork, discussed their favorite charities, and then voted to determine which charity would serve as the beneficiary of the profits. The Make a Wish Foundation received the most votes, and will receive 100% of the proceeds from the carnival, which totals over $1,300.
Dina Eletreby, Principal of New Horizons, had a challenge of her own. She promised her students that if they exceeded each of the 4 weekly goals, she would be the first participant in a dunk tank at the carnival. “It was a lot of fun watching the kids try to hit the target and a great way to celebrate and wrap up the month of service that Team Kids brought to our school.” The student-led booths included, a magic show, face painting, crazy hair, tug-a-war, and more.
“It was a privilege to implement the Team Kids Challenge alongside the students and staff at New Horizon,” says Founder/CEO Julie Hudash. “New Horizon has a student body about a third the size of our traditional schools, yet the outcomes of their drives and fundraisers were equally successful.”
Last month the students participated in an inspirational assembly, which brought together preschool through 6th grade students with role models — police, firefighters, and mentors from the community — to work as a team focused on four-week challenge goals to strengthen their community. Week one teamed New Horizon students up with Irvine’s Families Forward, filling 3 large barrels of food for the food bank. The second week focused on the importance of literacy, and students brought in 682 of their gently used books, for the Orange County’s Early Literacy Project. The third week focused on Orange County’s homelessness issue. Students filled 3 large vehicles with their gently used toys, clothes and household items to support the homeless and working poor through Irvine’s Illumination Foundation. Week four inspired over 200 students as environmental advocates as they filled 12 large trash bags with plastic bottles and aluminum cans. Proceeds were donated to the International Bird Rescue Research Center, which rescues sea birds injured due to ocean pollution.
Team Kids programs have demonstrated positive impacts on children’s feelings of self-efficacy, leadership capacity, their desire to help others, and perceptions of being important contributors to their schools and the community. What’s the secret to Team Kids’ success? It’s a close collaboration with the Irvine Unified School District, the City of Irvine, Irvine Police Department, Orange County Fire Authority, University of California, Irvine, and a host of other nonprofits and community partners. More than 20,000 children have participated in the Team Kids Challenge since 2001. Collectively, kids have raised over $200,000 for local charities during youth-led efforts.


About Team Kids
Team Kids strengthens innovative community collaborations that empower young people to become resilient and responsible citizens with a passion for service through its school-based and community-wide programs. While serving, students develop the values and skills that enable them to make positive choices in their own lives, while making a difference in the lives of others. For more information, visit the Team Kids Web site: www.teamkids.org

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Team Kids Fosters Passion for Community Service among Irvine Children
Community leaders team up with New Horizon students to mentor and inspire service through
4-week Team Kids Challenge!

Team Kids Honors Community, Philanthropist & Kids