Local Students Seek to Empower Orphans in Haiti with Viral Messages of Encouragement

Fusion Academy Students Team Up with Psychologist to Help Young Earthquake Victims

To help young victims orphaned by the devastating earthquake in Haiti that killed more than 220,000 people, left nearly 200,000 without homes, and orphaned tens of thousands of children overnight, students at Fusion Academy & Learning Center Los Angeles are serving as mentors for The Global Adolescent Project to encourage youth still suffering from the effects of the earthquake over two years later.

Upon learning of the devastation, Dr. Nancy Sobel, a Los Angeles-based psychologist, began volunteering in Haiti to provide critical relief effort support. Her trip inspired her to start a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the lives of young people living in poverty around the world. The Global Adolescent Project works to provide food, shelter, education, business development skills and opportunities to youth in poverty by connecting them to other young people around the world and engaging in sharing ideas, interests, coping mechanisms and educational tools via the Internet.

Having recently returned from another mission in Haiti moving children orphaned by the earthquake into a new home, Dr. Sobel visited Fusion Academy, an alternative, college-prep private school with a unique one-to-one learning model, to enlist students in a teen mentoring project. Fusion students videotaped messages of encouragement to send to Haitian students in an effort to serve as role models and mentors empowering Haiti’s youth.

“It was an eye-opening experience for our students to learn how the earthquake continues to effect the lives of kids their age in Haiti,” said Grace Losada , head of school. “They were able to connect with others suffering in another part of the world, and felt motivated to lift their spirits with powerful messages of encouragement.” 

In addition to creating positive messages of hope, students presented Dr. Sobel with a check raised from a holiday bake sale they held to support GAP efforts.

“It really touched me how the students took heart in the message I presented to them,” said Dr. Sobel. “The Global Adolescent Project is deeply grateful for their support, and the words of encouragement they shared with our children in Haiti will be messages they will remember for years to come.”

Parents interested in learning more about Fusion Academy Los Angeles are encouraged to contact the school at (310) 445-2516 to set up a tour or visit www.FusionLosAngeles.com for more information.  Follow Fusion Academy Warner Center on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/fusionlosangeles.