LT tops bracelet sales for Pulsera Project

For the fifth consecutive year, Lyons Township High School Spanish language students have been the top fundraiser in the Pulsera Project, sending much-needed funds to Nicaragua and Guatemala, two of the poorest countries in the western hemisphere.

Spanish teacher Lisa Plichta began the Pulsera Project at LT. The project educates, empowers, and connects Central American artists with students in more than 2,500 U.S. schools through the sale of colorful handwoven bracelets, or "pulseras" in Spanish. The organization employs nearly 200 artists and invests the bracelet proceeds to create lasting change in Central American communities.

As a unique component, LT students added t-shirt sales to their fundraising campaign. This year, they sold 326 t-shirts and broke the $4,000 mark for total sales, bringing their five year total to more than $20,000. No other school in the nation, out of more than 2,500 that participate, has ever come close to LT.

This summer, the project’s founders asked Plichta to be on their advisory council due to LT’s overwhelming success. She said, “The bracelet sale is more than a fundraiser. The project sits outside the curriculum but allows students to educate their classmates about the plight of some Central American countries. I’m happy to assist an organization which supports living wages, scholarships, health programs and infrastructure in Nicaragua and Guatemala. The project also helps foster our students’ identities as global citizens.”