Learning about History and Those Who Made It Happen


Ásotthalom, Hungary: On this year's Make a Difference Day, students of the Kiss Ferenc Elementary School remembered the martyrs of the 1848 revolution, who fought to make a difference in the lives of millions of others living in Hungary  at that time. On October 6, 2000, the school organized a special afternoon of competitions for the  students. The challenging tasks were all related to the 1848 revolution, which was the general topic of the competition. Ms. Laura Kiss, English teacher coordinated the project.

Ostroh, Ukraine: On September 30, students of Ostroh Elementary School conducted an interesting research investigating the history of Ostroh, as well as the lives of those outstanding personalities who made a special contribution to the city's history. Students of different grades were involved in the research project, showing great interest and enthusiasm about the endeavor. Besides this project, Ostroh Elementary students participated in the citywide cleanup prior to the city's  Anniversary Celebrations. The school's Make a Difference Day projects were coordinated by Ms. Olena Huzynska, English teacher.


Ukrainian Children Looking After Abandoned Mass Grave from World War II


Lyubar, Ukraine: Before selecting a topic for the Lyubar Secondary School's Make a Difference Day, English teacher Ms. Larysa Syedova asked her students to put some of their thoughts on paper. "A wonderful idea emerged from the kids", says Larysa. On Sunday, September 17, 2000, the school's sixth graders took off to a nearby forest to clean up a mass grave of nearly two thousand Jewish people, former residents of Lyubar who fell victim to a World War II fascist execution. "We spoke with a witness of this event," says Larysa. "The fascists captured innocent children, women, and old people of Jewish origin and brought them to the forest. They forced them to dig the grave for themselves and pushed them into it while alive. It was a horrible scene." Since nobody looks now after the grave, 6th graders of the Lyubar Secondary School decided to clean it up and leave flowers at the scene of the tragedy. "Our children were very touched and excited. Remembering the victims really made a difference in their lives."