Stage I Student Takes Action to Help Others

5 year old Simran Adnani and her family are new to Roeper this year and they are appreciative of the philosophy in Amber and Karen's classroom which emphasizes encouraging children to follow their passion. Simran was particularly impressed by MLK's message of inclusion when she learned about it with her classmates as they celebrated MLK Day. While reading the book ”I am Martin Luther King” with her Mom, she learned that MLK was inspired by Mahatma Gandhi and then went on to learn more about him.

 

An avid reader from an early age, Simran wanted to know if the children in India have books about people like MLK and Gandhi to read and found that many don't because they are so poor. She decided that she wanted to share her joy of reading with kids across the globe so she started a campaign called “Bridges with Books” and raised $250 to buy books. Simran's aunt, Anita Chopra, who was going to India to work in the community, helped inaugurate six libraries in six schools in remote villages in northern India. Simran was able to Skype with some children from those towns to make a real connection to the people who benefitted from her thoughtful project.

 

Simran didn't stop there!  She created a library for the family's local Sikh Temple in Sterling Heights because they didn't have a children's library.She painted and decorated the library with great enthusiasm and passion. They recently had an unveiling of the library with a celebration to thank her. Simran visits this temple every week and enjoys spending time with other kids and learning about the philosophy of Sikhism which is very similar to that of MLK. Sikhs believe in One, universal God and in the equality of all mankind, and service to all.

If asked, Simran would probably say how much she appreciated all the help and support of her mother who helped her make all of this happen!