Kids at the Orange Grove Middle School in Tucson, Arizona have spent the last few weeks walking for charity by canvassing the neighborhood and asking for pledges to build a school in a developing country. The students' goal is to raise five thousand dollars. Eileen Jackson, a parent who helped the school's Student Action Committee plan this year's walk-a-thon was quoted as saying; "We decided we would shoot for the big goal."

The school will be built in a developing country with help from the Free the Children Network. This organization helps American children assist fellow students in underdeveloped countries by donating supplies, building schools while helping to improve the way of life in impoverished areas. Oprah's Angel Network has actively partnered with Free the Children for nine years to improve conditions for children in forty-five countries. Free the Children has garnered three Nobel Peace Prize nominations for its work.

The idea came from Orange Grove Principal Phil Woodall, who worked on a similar project elsewhere raising enough money to build a school in Tanzania. "The money goes a long way to build a place to make learning available to kids who wouldn't otherwise get it," said the Principal. "It's a nice approach to getting authentic learning about another world," Woodall said.

This just shows that there is an "Oprah Connection" in many charitable projects.
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