On May 20, 2012 a sea of people converged on Central Park for the annual AIDS Walk. Among the 45,000 participants were 165 students from the Lycée as well as tens of faculty, staff and parents. Margaux Carré was one of them and she would not have missed this event for anything in the world: “I participated last year and absolutely wanted to come back this year,” explains the Y5 student who admits to having been awestruck by the crowd. “There were so many people you couldn’t see the end of it!”
For 15 years, the AIDS Walk has served as a fundraiser to help people suffering from the disease. Participating in AIDS Walk “raises awareness among students for whom the cause is not part of their daily lives. It also shows them the importance of collective action,” explains Vivianne Kurzweil, Dean of Student Programs at the Lycée.
This year our students raised more than $13,000 – a record – thanks to the generosity of their families and friends. Each participant was given a special LFNY-AIDS Walk T-Shirt. “Students from Y6 to Y11 were asked to submit logo designs, and the two winning logos were printed on the front and back of the T-Shirts,” explained Alexandra Cazeils, also a Y5 participant and enthusiastic AIDS Walk participant.
Participation in AIDS Walk is considered part of the community service program put into place at the Lycée in 2003. Each secondary student must complete eight to ten hours per year of voluntary service within their community. Whether it is visiting with elderly people in a nursing home, serving hot meals to homeless people, or cleaning up a city park, the service projects build student interest and competencies in social service and also give them the satisfaction of participating in a meaningful activity.
“We walked for three hours and covered ten kilometers, but honestly I didn’t see the time pass,” said Margaux, along with her friend Alexandra, who would agree. “You feel like you are contributing to something bigger than yourself,” she added.
Dressed in their LFNY t-shirts, the students had to respond to curious onlookers about the meaning of the acronym. “They did a great job at PR for the Lycée!” said a beaming Vivianne Kurzweil. The AIDS Walk is not the only fundraiser walk in which our Lycée students participate. Each fall approximately 100 students participate in the Walk to Cure Juvenile Diabetes.
About the Author :
A Lycée alumna, Vivianne Kurzweil has a bachelor’s in applied sciences from the University of Pennsylvania and a master’s in education from Bank Street College. Following 9/11, she created a program for community service at the Lycée. She is now director of Service Learning, and works with colleagues to promoste community service. Thanks to various volunteering projects, Lycée students have learned to make themselves useful in New York and around the world.