Project Hope is a non-profit organization that was founded in 2010 by marketing and new media entrepreneur Lisa Schultz. The Peace Project’s mission is to promote peace in its most tangible form: helping people in need.
The Peace Project’s initiatives include education, personal mobility, housing, vocational skills training and micro-lending. Peace Project is a student-led anti-bullying and mentoring program. Its goal in Toledo is to give students who are bullied, abused, or struggling to fit in a chance to belong.
In Toledo, Bill Geha is in charge of the Peace Project. He provides different events to gather students together in a place where they feel welcome and where they feel like they belong.
Once a year, an event called Project Hope, is held with the purpose of gathering students from junior highs together. This year, Project Hope was hosted at Highland Meadows Golf Club. Arbor Hills, McCord, and Timberstone students came together to meet with high school leaders and counselors.
When the students arrive, most of them are very shy and not willing to open up right away. Students watch inspiring videos, talk in small groups, eat lunch together, and bond.
Senior Madison Sample was a high school leader at the event. “I’ve been a leader for Project Hope for three years and it truly is an amazing experience. Project Hope is a place where students feel welcomed. It shows you that you are not alone and others may be going through the same thing you are. From watching kids walk in the doors in the morning to our goodbyes in the afternoon there is a huge change. The confidence that Project Hope brings to these students is remarkable,” Sample said.
The theme of stopping bullying and spreading kindness is reminded to everyone there. At the end of the day the students have a chance to stand up and sing. After forming friendships and opening up to new people about their feelings, many students gained the courage to sing one of their favorite songs in front of their new friends and classmates, something many people find difficult to do.
Although the junior high students learned many things from Project Hope, so did the high school leaders.
Sophomore Jillian Turner was a high school leader as well. “Leading in Project Hope was very eye-opening and fun. This event was very impactful for the kids, it was extremely impactful for me as well. Some students wrote letters to Mr. Geha about how they much they changed in one day. Reading the letters the kids wrote, filled my heart completely. I am so glad I was a part of this wonderful event,” Turner said.
