San Francisco’s Gateway High and International Nonprofit buildOn Team up to Build School in Haiti

Feb. 24, 2012 - PRLog -- San Francisco, CA, February 24, 2012 – Gateway High School, a college-preparatory charter school in San Francisco, together with nonprofit service organization buildOn, have a lofty goal of sending 15 students to Haiti in June 2012 to build a two-room schoolhouse.

“As the first school in the Bay Area to accomplish this, the group is ready to inspire the world,” says Antonio Taylor, Program Coordinator of the San Francisco chapter of buildOn.

Gateway students have already raised almost $30K of the $66K needed to cover building materials and transportation costs, but they need help from the Bay Area community to send them on this trip of a lifetime. In addition to school and community fundraisers, the team is seeking 300 “angels” who will pledge $100 each to make their trip a reality, but they welcome donations of any amount.

“I see enormous benefits on both sides,” says Sean Gass, Gateway High School teacher and buildOn club sponsor. “Through education, the people in Haiti will have a shot at a better and more productive life, and my students will have the kind of life-changing experience that helps them become compassionate leaders in their communities.”  

Since 2001, buildOn has built 32 schools in Haiti and during 2010 earthquake many of these schools were used as shelters. They had a team working through the emergency to provide immediate assistance and that same team remains in Haiti constructing classrooms.

In addition to fundraising, Gateway buildOn members volunteer thousands of hours each year in their communities at places like the San Francisco Food Bank, St. Anthony’s Foundation and Habitat for Humanity.

To make a donation or to get more information, visit the Gateway High School buildOn website (webuildon.buildon.org/gateway-to-haiti), or contact Gateway High School buildOn club sponsor Sean Gass at sgass@gatewayhigh.org.

Watch our video at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fCBPxsOsC2c



About Gateway High School
Gateway High School is a college preparatory, public charter school in San Francisco founded on the paired principles that all students can learn at high levels and that all students learn differently. Since it began in 1998, more than 96% of graduates have gone on to college (double the statewide rate). For more information, visit gatewayhigh.org.

About buildOn
buildOn is a nonprofit organization that combats the cycle of poverty, illiteracy and low expectations through service and education. Our after-school service programs in U.S. urban environments and school construction programs in the most remote and impoverished communities around the world ignite the limitless potential of people to change lives and transform communities. Since 1991, buildOn has helped build 430 schools, giving over 65,000 children and adults in nine developing countries better access to daily education. For more information, visit buildon.org.

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Gateway High School is a college preparatory, public charter school in San Francisco. Since it began in 1998, more than 96% of graduates have gone on to college (double the statewide rate). For more information, visit gatewayhigh.org.