West Tisbury School raises money for Nicaragua

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Eighth grade students Kiera McCarthy and Molly Menton sell handmade bracelets at the West Tisbury School. —Theresa Holmes

Seventh and eighth graders at the West Tisbury School recently ended their fundraising effort for the Pulsera Project, and sent a check for $580 to help with various charities in Nicaragua.

The Pulsera Project is a nonprofit organization that educates, empowers, and connects Central American artists with students in more than 1,600 U.S. schools through the sale of colorful handwoven bracelets, or “pulseras” in Spanish.

The West Tisbury School students sold pulseras in their front lobby during homeroom for $5 each. There were also woven handbags for $10. One hundred percent of the profit went to the artisans and communities in Nicaragua and Guatemala.

According to the Pulsera Project website, “We brighten U.S. schools with art and compelling cultural education while employing nearly 200 artists and investing proceeds to create lasting change in Central American communities.

“We engage U.S. students in international service to provide economic opportunities for Nicaraguans. We also advocate for progressive ideas about international service that value economic aid as just one part of a mutual exchange that also includes the sharing of knowledge, ideas, and life experiences for the benefit of all.”

“Students have been studying life and culture in these underdeveloped countries, and realizing that even with what little they have, if they are working toward making a difference, they are happy people,” said Theresa Holmes, seventh and eighth grade Spanish teacher at the West Tisbury School. “I am very proud of my students and the West Tisbury community for taking part in this amazing experience. I look forward to participating in this fundraiser with my students again next year.”