Weekly Roundup
July 9, 2026
Check out this week's roundup of the incredible ways our students are doing good in their communities! This week features a meaningful reflection from a Washington, D.C. and Gettysburg travel scholarship recipient, alongside Benjamin Project stories of a Minnesota student supporting global literacy through Books for Africa, a creative fundraiser to beautify an Illinois school campus with new trees and flowers, and a Colorado project boosting school spirit by leveling up their annual field day.
Kyara - Illinois
Students enjoyed paying a dollar to spin the wheel of fortune for a prize! The prizes varied: candy, a free spin, stickers, stress cubes, sour punch straws, and mini squishmallows. We raised $250. This money is going towards the Parent Group's beautification project for the front of the school — we will buy and plant trees and flowers in the front area to make it look nice.
Dylan - Minnesota
I chose to give my Benjamin Project money to a Zimbabwe organization called Books for Africa, based in St. Paul, Minnesota. I chose to donate to them to help students in Africa and give them a better future over time. Being a part of this project made me feel happy and proud. I think I am more aware of ways I can help the community.
Eloise - Colorado
We made our school field day better by investing our $100 towards various yard games, fun activities, and even raffle prizes for our peers. It is our mission to turn our school from a place that people may not enjoy much into a place that people look forward to attending. We strive to make a positive impact for all of the students here at my middle school. The Benjamin Project has made this more impactful, meaningful, and possible for us.
Aiden - Ohio
I wish to thank you for the scholarship I received for my D.C. trip. It went towards the amazing experience of visiting the capital of our nation, and I greatly appreciate it. I got to learn many different things about the Holocaust, modern art, George Washington, and many other topics.
I don't know how to express exactly how much gratitude I am feeling at this moment, and I really appreciate the support and help in making that trip a reality. I was able to meet a survivor of the Holocaust and ask her a question about what it was like while she was in hiding. I could only imagine a fraction of the terror she must have felt during that time.
I was also able to tour the dome of the Capitol and see both of the statues Ohio donated to the Capitol. I saw the Vietnam War Memorial (a war my grandpa served in), the Korean War Memorial, and the WWII Memorial. I saw monuments to numerous important figures like Martin Luther King Jr., FDR, and the memorials for Lincoln and Jefferson. I also visited Arlington National Cemetery and saw the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
On our way back from the trip, we stopped at Gettysburg and drove to the Union and Confederate lines, where we saw where bullets and cannon fire had struck certain buildings and areas of land. Again, I cannot express my gratitude enough. Thank you to your organization for helping make this trip possible.