By: Perimeter School Students

At Perimeter School, we believe that the goal of education should be to bring ourselves into greater knowledge and thus greater relation to God, other people, the natural world, and things that are good, and our Perimeter School seventh grade students are doing just that through an advocacy journalism assignment they were given this year.

Advocacy journalism is a genre of journalism that supports a specific point of view on an issue, and we hope that you are blessed and encouraged by our students as they advocate for the least and the lost as well as God’s creation in these excerpts from their assignments.

Rainforest Conservation Against Deforestation

Imagine thousands and thousands of trees being chopped, cut, and logged down. Hundreds of animals are fleeing from their homes, even though some don’t make it. Smoke pollutes the air, so the stars aren’t visible. Now take this image and make it true. Somewhere, thousands of miles away, that’s exactly what’s happening to the Amazon Rainforest.

Logging is responsible for a quarter of greenhouse gas emissions, and deforestation and habitat loss are the number one causes of the extinction of animals. But even though many consequences are shone throughout the years, trees keep being knocked down. We must protect the stemming biodiversity loss and climate change, or even more problems will present themselves. In the Amazon, 70,000 acres of rainforest are lost to deforestation a year. That’s 1.2 acres of trees per second. Less than 25% of the orangutan’s range is protected, but over half is slated for conversion to agriculture. And in the last two decades, the jaguar population has dropped by 25%.

Logging in the Amazon contributes to global warming by releasing greenhouse gases and carbon into the air. Yet, despite this, the rainforest that is still standing removes a lot of the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere already. But if we keep deforestation up, then our biggest remover of carbon dioxide will be gone, and global warming will take over the world! So, we must stop logging for carbon storing, avoiding sending out emissions, and carbon sequestration, and you can help by donating to Rainforest Trust.

Rainforest Trust is a nonprofit organization that supports the cause of stopping rainforest deforestation. Since being founded in 1988, they have saved 43.4 million acres of rainforest and have raised $50 million for that cause. Their goals are to give half of Earth’s animals a lasting home, conserve 125 million acres, and contain 15 billion tons of carbon by 2025. You can help this cause by donating on Rainforest Trust’s website (rainforest.org), where your fund will be part of the conservation action where it is needed most.

Sydney, Seventh Grade Student

Teen Adoption

First steps and first words may be important, but giving kids a second chance with a family is even more important. In the United States, there are so many kids in the foster system. This year, over 20,000 kids will leave foster care without family and people they can rely on. Most of these young adults come from adverse childhood experiences, also known as ACEs. These harsh experiences include abuse, addiction, no parental figures, and many more harsh experiences that no child or teenager should have to deal with. These young adults are left to fight for themselves, and because of this, it leads to trauma rising from the separation from their parents. Many of these kids grow up without being taught how to talk or brush their own teeth. These situations are unfortunately very common, leading to more than 117,000 children and teens waiting to be adopted just in the United States alone.

While these heartbreaking realities are true and are very common, it only takes one person to make a difference. AdoptUSKids is a national project working to ensure that teens and children in the foster care system in the United States get safe, loving, and permanent families. Their mission is to raise public awareness about the need for foster and adoptive families in the public child welfare system. AdoptUSKids helps families in every step of the adoption process and answers any question that may appear along the way. They charge no cost to anyone who comes to them, being funded federally. They are an amazing organization making a difference every single day when it comes to the problems surrounding children in foster care. People can get involved and help with this problem by asking questions, donating money, becoming a foster family, or adopting a child or children. Teens in the foster care system is a problem that is not commonly talked about but is an important issue that anyone can help fix through small things. Thanks to AdoptUSKids, helping in the foster care system has become easier.

Tyler, Seventh Grade Student

Poverty Beyond Homelessness

Poverty affects all of us, and a healthier community will impact a heathier nation and a heathier world. Poverty extends further than homelessness, although that is a pressing issue. Food insecurity and not knowing where your next meal will come from is a reality for more than some realize. U.S. Census Bureau Quickfacts claims that 14% of Georgians live in poverty, as well as 11.6% of the United States population.

Neighborhood Cooperative Ministries has been working to help poverty and point people to Christ since 1988. Shirley Cabe, NCM Executive Director, quotes, “Over these last 2 years, the ministry has seen more clients than ever before since our beginning 30 years ago. Virtually overnight during the Covid pandemic, our clients increased by over 500% and food distribution increased by over 700%.”

NCM is always happy to have volunteers, be it in food or clothing distribution or working for financial or housing assistance. There is no shortage of options if you have a bit of free time. Hope to see you there!

Melrose, Seventh Grade Student