Until April 30, members of Typography and Design Club will create paper pinwheels for Syrian refugees through the Healing Classrooms Challenge. They will work with Students Rebuild, a program designed by the Bezos Family Foundation that encourages students to take initiative in critical global issues.

Chelsea Dai, Typography and Design Club president and sophomore,  said she learned about this challenge through advertising at the Carmel Clay Public Library (CCPL). According to her, The club had previously collaborated with the CCPL in raising $3,205 by making 1,282 pinwheels.

Dai said, “(The challenge) is a good opportunity to help teenagers to take control of some these issues that they may, otherwise not be able to.”

The fundraiser grants anyone the chance to assist Syrian child refugees in recovering from crisis situations in conflicted areas without leaving their homes or raising the money themselves. The Bezos Family Foundation will donate $2.50 for each pinwheel mailed to Students Rebuild by March 21 and $2 for each constructed after, according to Hope Baugh, CCPL’s Young Adult services manager.

“I think the Bezos Family Foundation could have just said, ‘Oh, here’s $400,000,’ but they wanted to get more people involved, and they wanted to raise awareness of this situation of the Syrian refugees,” she said. “The fact that people made (the pinwheels) is what triggers the Bezos Family Foundation to give this money.”

The current goal is to make 200,000 paper pinwheels by April 30, and CCPL will not continue to make any more. However, those who would like to continue or partake in this project can follow the instructions posted on Student Rebuild’s website.

According to Dai, the club is interested in making more pinwheels since she supports the Healing Classrooms Challenge’s cause and enjoys constructing them with techniques learned in the club.

Dai said, “I like making them, especially decorating them, and writing messages on the pinwheels for the refugees, and I think if I were a refugee, then I would think it’s really cool that someone was thinking of me.”