Sophia’s Reflection

I was very excited to receive an invitation to join Hope’s In and be a part of this nonprofit because it inspired me to reciprocate the commitment of the Hope’s in Academy’s members into a passionate cause of mine. Transitioning into Freshman year of High School, I looked for a way to find my purpose and feed my desire of giving back to my community and even save lives. Hope’s In provided an amazing and welcoming door for that, and ever since I have come to appreciate communicating with my peers and sharing my ideas. I feel very grateful and privileged for this wonderful opportunity to learn about the leadership skills that will be imperative for my future endeavors. View Full Post…

Alina’s Reflection

My name is Alina Khan and I am a sophomore at Barrington High school. The project my group and I decided to create was based around reducing plastic waste at school. We chose this because as a group, we all were passionate about making the environment at school plastic-free. Also, we saw this service project as an opportunity to make an impact in our community by helping our peers understand how important it is to be conscious of plastic waste. As a group, we learned that with dedication and commitment, we can reach even beyond our goal to make Barrington High school plastic-free. View Full Post…

Featured Hope’s In Academy Projects

Recycling Project

“My name is Alina K. and I am a sophomore at Barrington High school. The project my group and I decided to create was based around reducing plastic waste at school. We chose this because as a group, we all were passionate about making the environment at school plastic-free. Also, we saw this service project as an opportunity to make an impact in our community by helping our peers understand how important it is to be conscious of plastic waste. As a group, we learned that with dedication and commitment, we can reach even beyond our goal to make Barrington High school plastic-free.

Although we started the project at the end of the year and not many classes participated in the project, we still were able to make a small impact and learn from what we did wrong and what to change so that we could improve in the years to come. This showed us that with more time and planning we could have spread the word to more peers and teachers at Barrington. To someone that is planning to run their own service project, make sure you have an organized schedule and planner as it will help you accomplish what to get done each day to achieve the biggest impact in your area/community. Also, you can base your service project on something that you love to do such as painting or playing a sport and research about how you can turn that idea into a form of community service. Finally, don’t be upset if not many people participate the first time you start a service project as this is an excellent learning opportunity on how you can make the project better the next time you do it.”

Alzheimer’s Awareness Memorial Garden

When the 6th hour students were brainstorming what their project would be, they decided to first discuss causes they were personally passionate about. One student, Evelina, shared a personal experience regarding a loved one’s battle with Alzheimer’s. The group was moved by her story and decided to focus on Alzheimer’s awareness for their project. After much discussion, the group decided to plant a garden for a local nursing home in their community called the Garlands. The garden would feature all purple flowers as purple is the color of the Alzheimer’s awareness ribbon. 

The students reached out to the nursing home and coordinated an entire afternoon to collaborate with the residents and plant the garden together. The garden was in the courtyard of a memory care unit within the nursing home. The residents and students shared a beautifully, sunny afternoon together and even were invited to stay for a snack. The garden beautified the space and is maintained by the Garlands’ staff and residents. 

Masks for Chicago’s Vulnerable Families

In the 2019-2020 school year, teams had geared up for in-school based projects, however when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, each team quickly had to pivot and modify the projects they had been planning for. One group’s project was focused on vulnerable families in downtown Chicago. The team of students created a budget, ordered the supplies needed, and hand sewed 73 masks for the Heartland Alliance in Chicago. The Heartland Alliance distributed the masks to medical personnel and people who live in their shelters throughout Chicago for people experiencing homelessness. Each mask was beautifully made and had a note that said: “It’s a good day to be happy.”

When their efforts were shared on the HOPE’S IN Instagram, a Barrington community member, Jenn, saw their efforts and was inspired to get involved! She sewed an additional 27 masks so that the students’ donations would be 100 masks! The students were so excited to see that their efforts had created a ripple effect throughout their community. They were so excited to know that 100 people in Chicago would benefit from their masks during the pandemic.