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St. Mary's students create website linking students with organizations needing help

Two Portland high school students are taking action during the pandemic by creating the Portland Student Pandemic Response website.

PORTLAND, Ore. — Students all over have found they’ve got a little extra time on their hands these days.

But two Portland high school students weren’t about to sit around and do nothing.

Rye Scholin and her friend, Zumee Hasan attend St. Mary’s Academy. Scholin is a junior and Hasan is a sophomore. Both are on the same robotics team. With school closed and robotics over, they decided to do something useful with their time.

“We found ourselves just like sitting at home with all this energy and all these skills and we’re just like 'Hmm there’s probably a better use for this',” said Scholin. “We created the Portland Student Pandemic Response."

It’s a website connecting high school students with organizations that need help. It’s been a hit.

“We released last week and so far it’s been doing really great. Within the first 24 hours we got 2000 hits on the website,” said Hasan.

“Within one week, we’ve got 4000 now,” she added.

When you visit the Portland Student Pandemic Response website, there are all sorts of ways for students to help. Hasan said there are 33 projects so far that range from mask-making to reading a story for children of frontline workers, to writing simple encouraging notes.

Credit: Portland Student Pandemic Response
Student reading a story to children of essential workers

One of the notes reads in part, “Thank you. Essential workers – during this time of uncertainty, you are the ones keeping our worlds afloat.”

That heartfelt message was sent to Transition Projects, a nonprofit that helps Portland’s homeless.

Credit: Transition Projects
Thank you note sent to Transition Projects

“It’s pretty amazing. We’ve definitely had a lot of folks reaching out to see how they can help. But it’s pretty awe-inspiring when you get two teenagers who not only want to help themselves but want to find a way to mobilize thousands of students to help,” said Emily Coleman, the volunteer coordinator for Transition Projects.

Coleman said the organization is grateful for the masks it has also received for its staff and clients. She said the help, in general, is much appreciated after many of its volunteers had to stop because of the coronavirus. 

Credit: Portland Student Pandemic Response
A student who made masks

“We’re really excited where this website can go since it looks like this [coronavirus] is still going to last a while longer. We’re gonna still need help and it’s really wonderful to know there are inspired students like this who are out there working to connect so many other people to opportunities to help and to just building community,” Coleman said.

Both Scholin and Hasan hope more students get involved in the site made by Portland students for Portland students.

“We can actually make a difference by going and working with these organizations and giving them the time and energy that they’re looking for,” said Scholin.

“Please join. The more help, the better we can make this situation,” Hasan said.

Any high school student in Portland can get involved. All you have to do it log onto the Portland Student Pandemic Response website to get started. Students can even contribute their own project ideas.

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