Two years ago, our junior class at North Shore Country Day School read the book Three Cups of Tea, the story of Greg Mortenson—an incredible man who has dedicated his life to the fight for the basic human right of education. It was the type of book that did not allow for an idle reading—after hearing this man’s mission and accomplishments, we were each irresistibly drawn to the thought, “Well…we have to do something now.” We became excited to shoulder the responsibility every human has to make a difference in the world—we just weren’t sure where that difference should be made.

Enter John Kelly and Jim Lumberg, two parents at North Shore who had recently been through a similar experience. While climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, the two asked their guide why it was that everyone referred to him by the title Teacher. As an answer, he showed them the nursery school he had founded in Moshi—a safe refuge he had provided for the more than two hundred students who otherwise would have no real access to an education. Mr. Kelly and Mr. Lumberg were amazed by Teacher’s vision; but a quick look at the school’s four benches, one blackboard, and zero walls showed them that this was a vision in need of some serious help.

And so last year, with the help of our teacher Mrs. McHugh, our class managed to raise more than $30,000 for the Kilimanjaro Children’s Foundation (founded by Mr. Kelly and Mr. Lumberg) to help purchase and construct a brand new campus, with all the shelter, supplies, and more necessary to provide a real education. The new school will open officially on Wednesday, May 21—and thirteen of us, along with Mrs. Mills, Ms. Flory, and Mrs. K., will be there when the doors open. For the next two weeks we will be living and working in Tanzania, building relationships with the children and adults there that will serve as a continuing bridge between our two schools, and one that will expand and strengthen as time goes by. We leave on Saturday to plant this seed—which, hopefully, we and the future generations of North Shore will help group into something truly special.
Aaron Regunberg '08

---

---