When there is a will, there is a way!

Early in 2021, Singapore American School third grade student Sophia P. and her sister Sasha P. decided to start their own charity called Kids For Good. The idea was inspired by their desire to help raise money for Animal Lovers League, a Singapore-based organization that rescues and shelters animals in need. Their first Kids For Good project was in February 2021 when they set up a lemonade stand at their condominium complex and they donated all of the proceeds to the Animal Lovers League.

When Sophia P. set up her next lemonade stand, it would be to share her passion for animals and the joy they can bring to our lives with her SAS classmates—her sights were set on getting a classroom pet! Sophia P. and her classmates Bella J., Nyla N., and Aleen R. approached their classroom teacher Ms. Komal Daswani about a classroom pet and were asked to present the idea to their classmates. They shared, “We wanted to get a class pet because we wanted to learn how to be responsible and it will help us know more about our classmates.”

Leaning on their communication and critical thinking skills, our Eagles shared a very thorough presentation so their classmates could get a sense of what this journey of owning a pet might look like as a learning community. They shared, “We got our classmates to vote and the majority of us voted for a hamster. But we decided against it because one of our classmates is allergic to hamsters.” At every step of the way, our Eagles demonstrated extraordinary empathy, character, and collaboration—skills that will serve them well as they, along with their impact in our community, continue to grow. They continually shared updates on their progress to raise funds for a classroom pet and gathered feedback from their classmates for various reasons—from determining the type of pet to their preferred pet names.

A few weeks after their initial presentation to the class they set up their lemonade stand again, and with the help of Sophia P.’s parents offering to match all proceeds, they were able to raise enough money to meet their fundraising goal!

Shortly after winter break, Sophia P., Bella J., and Nyla N. took a trip down to the pet store to get their classroom pets—two aquatic turtles named Shelly and Bo.

After reaching two goals that they had set out last year, Sophia P. and Sasha P. (Sophia's sister) aspire to maintain the Kids for Good cause and hope they will be able to hold their annual lemonade sale in support of the Animal Lovers League!