Fifth graders organize cereal drive for food pantry

AUSTIN - A group of fifth graders at Harmony School of Innovation, led by teacher Ms. Lira, launched a campus-wide cereal donation drive to support El Buen Samaritano, an Austin nonprofit that offers a free food pantry to local families.

The initiative is part of the school’s Student-Led Service Learning Project. In addition to collecting unopened cereal boxes, the students are educating their peers about food insecurity by visiting classrooms and creating awareness materials.

“We want our students to understand that leadership includes service,” Lira said. “This project helps them see the importance of giving back.”

As an incentive, students plan to arrange the donated boxes like dominoes in the school’s hallways. If enough boxes are gathered, the school will hold a chain-reaction event at 9:38 a.m. on Oct. 3, visually representing the collective impact of community action.

Harmony Public Schools is a Texas-based charter school network operating more than 60 campuses across 23 cities, including nine schools in the Austin area. The system emphasizes STEM education, character development, project-based learning and college readiness.