Change For Cranes: Thanks to Sara and Jessica!

Sara and Jessica are two students making a difference in the lives of kids and cranes! When Sara was in 6th grade, she started a program called Change for Cranes. Students in her school, Prairie View Elementary near Mukwanago, Wisconsin, collected enough spare change (coins) to adopt not just one, but ELEVEN cranes from the International Crane Foundation in Baraboo, Wisconsin, at a cost of $45.00 (as of 3/28/03) per crane. Saving cranes and earning a pizza party are the rewards for everyone who takes part. Soon Sara's sister Jessica became her partner in CFC.

Sara and Jessica have marketed their program with the help of their mother, Bonnie. They have blue CFC shirts, and they made a packet that includes an environmental video about cranes and conservation. The CFC packet includes endangered animal activity pages, CFC pencils and more. They mail the packets to other schools in their district, hoping to swell CFC's impact.

The sisters have big dreams for CFC. Ten classrooms were taking part when this page was made. The girls plan to make a video this summer to ge their idea out to other kids and encourage them to do CFC in their own schools. They are creating a puppet show to use with kids in grades one, two, and three in schools that want to do CFC. their activities with CFC get classmates excited to take part in community and global issues. They are true "craniacs" inspiring others to become craniacs too!

Kids and Cranes: The Future is Now
(Click on photos to enlarge)

Sara and Jessica made this display for their CFC presentations. It shows all 15 species of the world's cranes. Sara holds the "Change for Cranes" donation jar.

Sara and Jessica show students the migration routes of Sandhill and Whooping cranes. Can you find the routes of the two wild migratory Whooping crane flocks?

Korie joined the girls for a crane presentation to 6th graders in February, 2003. Korie works at ICF, the only place in the world where all 15 species of cranes can be viewed.



Each crane adoption comes with a certificate of adoption and a photo of the crane with its name and history. The class will also get a year's membership to ICF, and a year's subscription to "Bugle," the ICF newsletter.

On pizza party day, this class was delighted to receive their adoption news. Why do you suppose these names were chosen for these cranes?

Jessica serves up pizza. Her mom donates a pizza or ice cream party to the top donating class.

How to Adopt a Crane

NOTE: In the summer of 2003, Sara and Jessica were among five kids chosen for the Lands' End 5th annual Born Hero Awards. Lands' End supports each Born Heroe's work with a $5,000 donation to his or her cause. The Born Hero winners are also featured in the Lands' End catalog and Web site. Awards are for 8 -to- 12-year olds who are doing great things for the world. Congratulations, Sara and Jessica!