21 students look to life-changing journey

On Saturday June 26, Decisions Decisions’ Allison Handler and her duet partner, Mary Rondthaler, performed at a benefit concert for The Pangaea Project, held at Mississippi Pizza. The intimate setting provided the perfect atmosphere for people from near and far to come and enjoy an evening of music for a good cause. One of the many highlights of the evening came from the announcement that the Maybelle Clark MacDonald Foundation, along with another anonymous donor, would triple-match each donation.

The Pangaea Project will send 21 high school students from disadvantaged families on a life-changing journey to Ecuador this summer. The students will participate in a month-long experiential learning program focused on Environmental Justice. They prepare for their international experience by studying local and global issues related to solidarity, human rights, social change and community organizing. Through service-learning projects in Portland and Ecuador they build leadership skills to become effective “changemakers” in their communities and the world.

A second group of students initially planned to study Fair Trade and Labor Rights in Thailand. However, in the wake of a US State Department travel advisory noting increasing violence, Pangaea Project board members made the decision to have the Thailand class join students going to Ecuador.  The purpose of Saturday’s fundraiser was to help defray increased costs due to the switch in travel plans.

Allison isn’t the only D2 connection to The Pangaea Project, D2’s Carri Munn also serves on The Pangaea Project’s advisory board.