Youth Venture

We are a non-profit fundraising organization whose mission is to raise money for underprivileged schools in rural areas.

We are a student based non-profit fundraising organization whose mission is to raise money for underprivileged schools in rural areas of Hubei Province, China.
Due to rapid development in China, the majority of non-profit organizations in the United States look only towards the bigger and more well known cities of China, such as Beijing, Xi an or Shanghai, to fundraise and donate money to. Although many of the scenic areas in China such as Guilin and Tibet also have very poor conditions in rural areas, excessive tourism and publicity still generate a fair amount of money for the schools there. What most people often overlook, however, are the areas that are neither tourist destinations nor industrial centers. Cities in and around Hubei province is a prime example of one of these areas.
The outskirts of Hubei Province are undeveloped and the schools there are extremely under-funded. Many of the small schools in these rural areas have only been roughly constructed to serve the purpose of obeying government requirements for education.
Not only are these schools often unofficially registered, but the conditions of these schools are horrible. Dirt floors, broken windows, and splinter covered desks and chairs are just a few things one might notice when one steps into a typical classroom. There is no heating during the winter nor is there air conditioning when temperatures reach over 100 degrees in the summer. Without money to even replace cracked blackboards, how can these schools afford new computers, a ping-pong table for recreation, or even textbooks? Determined for an education, some students walk over 6 miles a day to get to school, but they cannot possibly receive this education unless their schools have adequate funding. That is where we come in.
Every year, A Thousand Wings will be hosting a number of fundraising events, either independently or in collaboration with other non-profit organizations. All the money that we raise will go directly to a school(s) in Hubei Province. News from that school(s) will constantly be coming in and updating us on what they have done with the money we donated. All the students that have gone with us to China and all the people here that have donated upon hearing of their experiences will know how much of a difference A Thousand Wings made.
A Thousand Wings is more than just a fundraising organization. Every year, we will be sending a handful of students over from America to schools in Hubei that we have chosen to donate money to. These Chinese American or American students will be students that are not only interested in China, but are willing to put their all into helping children. They will be doing an assortment of different activities inside the schools for the 2-3 weeks they are there. Most of us will be teaching English when school is in session, and depending on the school’s particular schedule, we may be teaching/ helping with other subjects. Since we are going during the summer, we will most likely help repair the school or the school grounds. Outside of school, students will spend a great deal of time with their host families. The most important goal for us, as outsiders, is to become part of the village.
As more and more students go back every year, more and more will be coming back with stories to tell from their experiences. The people who donate money will donate for a cause that they really understand as opposed to a cause they briefly viewed on a slide show or in a brochure. Unlike other travel abroad organizations, which include 5 star hotel accomodations with around the clock services of radio, television, air conditioning and food for their travelers, we are not going to indulge in those luxuries. Most of our students will be staying with local families of the village or they will be staying at the school. It is very important for these students that are going on this trip, to know that they are not tourists and that this is not a tour. Students must become accustomed to harsh conditions immediately and learn how to handle situations that they have never come across before. By the end of their experience, each and every one of our students should be going home with the knowledge of what life is like for children in the rural parts of Hubei Province and why it is we must help them.