How one photo of a teenage boy raised $1m and gave school students hope for the future
窪蹋厙惇勛圖
Its a social media phenomenon. Almost 12 million likes on its . Another 225,000 followers of . And theres a best-selling book.
The blog is the brainchild of Brandon Stanton, who gives people around the world a glimpse into the lives of ordinary people he meets on the streets.
Now Brandon has helped to raise $1 million for a school in Brooklyn. He spotted 13-year-old Vidal Chastanet, took his picture and asked him who was the most influential person in his life.
He posted this photo with these words from Brandon:泭When you live here, you dont have too many fears. Youve seen pretty much everything that life can throw at you. When I was nine, I saw a guy get pushed off the roof of that building right there.
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Later on the same day, Brandon posted a second Facebook item. In it, Vidal explained why his teacher is the greatest influence on his life.
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Three days later, Brandon went to visit Vidals school principal, Nadia Lopez, at Mott Hall Bridges Academy in the underserved neighbourhood of Brownsville, Brooklyn. She said:泭This is a neighbourhood that doesnt necessarily expect much from our children, so at Mott Hall Bridges Academy we set our expectations very high. We dont call the children students, we call them scholars.
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Brandon discussed with Ms Lopez how the massive Humans of New York family could help the school. They and her programmes director Monique Achu decided to create a fund that would give each incoming sixth grade class a chance to get out of their neighborhood and visit a new place. And that place is Harvard University.泭Ms Lopez told Humans of New York: I want every child who enters my school to know that they can go anywhere, and that they will belong.泭So they with a goal of $100,000 and within days it had soared past $1 million!
With that amount of money raised, the inspiring Harvard trips will become a permanent part of the school curriculum. What to do with the rest? The answer is a summer programme for students whose neighbourhoods arent safe for them to go out. Ms Lopez explained: We (she and her teachers) wanted to understand how our students live. We went inside the housing projects. The parks and playgrounds were empty because its too dangerous. Even the library isnt a safe zone. Just last Saturday, one of my scholars had two guns pulled on him while he was walking to the community center. In broad daylight.
I want to make it out of the hood色 Consider donating to send students to visit Harvard: .
Brandon Stanton (@humansofny)
On January 26, Mott Hall Bridges Academy held an assembly and Ms Lopez explained about the trips to Harvard in Cambridge, Massachusetts. She also told them:泭The scholars of MHBA are inspiring the entire world. People have written me letters from New Zealand, England and South Africa, telling me that they care about you.
On the same day, Brandon announced that so much money had been raised that every sixth grader could visit Harvard University for the next 10 years and the summer programme was also financed for at least a decade. So he revealed a scholarship fund will also be set up. He wrote: It will be called The Vidal Scholarship Fund. And the first recipient will be Vidal himself.
Interviewed by the TV chat show host泭, Vidal pictured with his mother said of his school principal:泭Nadias unbelievable. Shes like a movie character, she just cares so much and shes tough. Its what you need in this area. Shes tough and shes unbelievably committed and ambitious, but ambitious on part of the kids.
To find out more about Humans of New York, . You can泭.
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