Union Students in Tulsa Tech’s Fashion Class are Changing the Lives of Young Women Worldwide
SERVICE FOR OTHERS: Union High School students in the Foundations of Fashion and Apparel Design class take part in a service project for Days for Girls.
A thread, a stitch and a passion to help others in need. Students in Tulsa Tech’s Foundations of Fashion and Apparel Design class at Union High School are learning more than just clothes. They are working to change the lives of people they probably will never meet, by teaming up with the non-profit Days for Girls.
“It’s something that shouldn’t be a big deal, but helping with this project can have a huge impact on young women in Africa,” Kareem Ahmed, a student in the class said. “Now they can go to school or work, and that can have a major impact on their lives.”
As part of the class, the students join the Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA), a CareerTech student organization. Helping make a difference is just one-way FCCLA pushes its students.
“This project is a way of connecting our FCCLA family at Union High School to other families around the world,” said Faith Alazi, FCCLA Chapter President. “It is a great way to impact those families in a positive way.”
FCCLA runs student competitions called Students Taking Action with Recognition (STAR) events. These events challenge students to find creative ways to do everything from showcasing skills learned to projects that help others.
“For my STAR event, I am doing a community service project,” student True Gray said shyly. “I want to bring awareness about Days for Girls.”
Gray took part in the classes’ first STAR event in November. During the event, volunteers helped sort items, sew bags, and make the sanitary products, then packed the bags to be donated.
“The first event was really cool,” Gray said. “It was nice to see everyone working to help others, and it made me want to be an ambassador for the program.”
While time spent in FCCLA is not part of their school work, it ties in directly to the skills the students learn in the classroom.
“We are looking at the colors and how they will make people feel confident when they use the products,” Ahmed said.
“It’s sewing. We are sewing bags and the sanitary napkins so it is all reusable,” Gray said. “It is very similar to a recycle and redesign project we had to do for class.”
The group is planning another Day for Girls event in February, and you can help by dropping off small hotel size bars of soap at Union High School. The soap will then be included in the packets that the group is making in February.
