Battles have been long won against the polio virus, but final defeat has been elusive.
Students at Renaissance High School took up the banner to rid the world of the highly infectious disease during fall classes, raising money through a penny drive to contribute to the Rotary Club ‘s polio fund, researching Rotary polio eradication efforts around the world, and making posters.
“The coin war between nine Community Forum classes was a big success,” said Darcie Moss, career and tech education business and marketing teacher and RHS Leadership instructor. “Students feel good when their efforts contribute such a sizable amount toward an important global cause.”
They’re also working with the Gates Foundation for a two-to-one grant, bringing RHS’s contribution to $499.60.
The Clarkston Rotary Club is matching that, plus adding another 40 cents, to ensure the donation equals an even $1,000, Moss said.
Their research project on polio also served as an Academic Service Learning project for the students. They created a walking tour for visitors, explaining what they learned.
Rotarian Jeff Lichty said students developed a real appreciation of the disease’s seriousness, and how quickly it can spread.
‘With the disease’s ability to be transmitted, it’s got to be stopped,” Lichty said.
“This looks like understanding of something they never experienced,” said Rotarian Mary Sloan said. “We can’t just let it go.”
Students were especially taken aback by what they learned about the iron lung, a cumbersome medical ventilator needed to help polio sufferers with paralyzed lungs breath.
“It was a lot of information and the kids really got their arms around it,” said Rotarian Mike Spillum. “I think it’s a great project.”
The project included research into patients with local connections, including Charlotte Yeloushan, whose daughter Kathy Yeloushan teaches and consults at the school.
“A lot of people think polio has been cured. It hasn’t,” Kathy said. “The important thing we all need to understand is we still have to eliminate it worldwide.”
The students’ interview about her mother was a bittersweet experience, she said.
“I’m happy and sad at the same time. It brings back bleak memories,” Kathy said. “But, the thing I worked around is there was a cure. My mother was part of the last group with polio before the vaccine. I remember how proud she was, talking about helping the whole world.”
Renaissance High School is very supportive of Rotary, raising money for water filters, books, and shelter box projects around the world, Sloan said.
Renaissance will work on a school wide academic service learning project in the new term, Moss said.