Davis Lopp's Portfolio
Co-Creator of "Acts of Giving" club
Being thankful, kind and compassionate are our family’s core values. My sister, Emily, and I created a community club while at Workspace, called Charity & Philanthropy - Acts of Giving. We initiated various acts to help those less fortunate, making blankets for local animals at the Bethel Animal Shelter, a food drive for the Bethel Food Pantry, and cleaning the shelves from expired goods. But the project I'm most proud of from our club was our collaboration with Sandy Hook Promise, where we established a "Start With Hello" week to engage those that felt left out or isolated. The shooting at Sandy Hook affected our community and my parents really deeply. We live only 7 minutes from the school. And I was the same age, same grade as those children. This was personal to me, as all throughout growing up, I played sports against the survivors, went to driving school with them, and now high school parties - my heart always hurting for what they endured.
Davis Lopp's Portfolio
"START WITH HELLO" WEEK
We began the week with the special presentation from our wonderful Sandy Hook Promise presenter, Billy Flash to kick it off, then followed that day with a New Friend Scavenger Hunt.
Our club created a Kindness board with every students’ name on individual envelopes and taped them to the board, where we had students write compliments to each other, anonymously or not, and fill each other’s envelopes. It was the club’s responsibility to ensure every child had at least one kind note in their envelope. If not, a member of our club would write kind notes and fill the envelopes that are lacking. This board was intended to be a Tuesday event, but the kids enjoyed it so much we kept it up the entire week.
Tuesday we followed the Kindness board with a photo booth for students to grab someone they didn’t know and take a pic with them.
On Wednesday, Caraluzzi’s, a supermarket in our community, donated sandwiches for the students to enjoy while they engaged in learning to say “hello” in multiple languages, as well as play a fun round of New Friend BINGO.
Thursday, students painted and drew beautiful pictures on inclusivity. They also wrote different conversation-starters on the dry-erase board in the hub.
And Friday, we ended it with community popcorn and a fun game of Speed-Friending.
Davis Lopp's Portfolio
"BESTBUDDIES" HiGH SCHOOL
Best Buddies High School is an incredible program that fosters inclusive friendships between high school students with and without intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). It promotes an environment of acceptance, understanding, and friendship, allowing students to connect on a personal level.
In this program, participants are paired as "buddies" and engage in various activities together, from simple hangouts to more structured events like movie nights, group outings, and game days. The primary aim is to break through social barriers and stereotypes, offering individuals with IDD a chance to form meaningful connections, feel valued, and become an integral part of the high school community.
Students without IDD, like me, gain a profound sense of empathy, understanding, and a broader perspective on diversity by being involved in the program. We not only develop lasting friendships but also become advocates for inclusivity and acceptance. Best Buddies High School contributes to creating a more compassionate and open-minded school environment, enriching the lives of all participants and fostering a culture of kindness. It's an exceptional program that goes beyond just building friendships; it promotes social change and encourages everyone to be a part of a more inclusive and diverse world. It's an experience I cherish and look forward to continuing in the college chapter.