Hello Friends!
First things first—go back and soak in those smiles for another minute or two. We just returned from Gurap, and wow… in only 12 days, so many beautiful things unfolded at the school it’s hard to know where to begin. So we’ll start the best way we know how: with pictures. After all, a photo is worth a thousand words—and Paul brought home about 3,000 of them!
Here’s the most important update: your support is making a huge difference. Our students—from classes 1–11—are growing into confident, capable, joyful young people. This is a happy bunch of kids, and it shows in every classroom, hallway, and playground moment.
For the past seven years, our focus has been building up the campus. This year, our focus is building up the child. Our partners are embracing a thoughtful plan to grow slowly—about 100–150 new students per year—so success is measured by quality, not quantity. As the dining hall is completed, academic facilities expand, and safer boarding solutions are added, we’re also growing our support staff. Our staff, including the sisters, cares for the daily needs of all of our children beginning with our 6-year-old boarders. They are also needed to help direct students from activity to activity—think of them as our on-campus “carpool” moms and dads.
At the core of it all, Tribe Rising is committed to supporting grade-level competency in every subject. Simply put: our students need more teachers and tutors—especially in science, math, and English, and hands-on learning in modern labs for chemistry, physics, and geography/geology, just like our brand-new biology lab (see green box below!). These experiences prepare students for national exams and open doors to higher education.
Beyond academics, the students need more opportunities for developing individual skills and interests, more opportunities to grow creatively and physically too: a stronger music program, dance, girls’ sports coaching, a formal art program—and yes, even a martial arts teacher (a very popular request!).
And this is where you come in.
Your generosity fuels the everyday work that keeps the school improving—supporting teachers, programs, facilities, and opportunities that allow Santal students to thrive both in and out of the classroom.
This is just our first pass through the stories of this visit. In the coming weeks, we’ll share more photos and videos from Gurap. Until then, we hope your heart feels full knowing that good things are happening every day.
So, we invite you to take one small action today that creates big change. Whether it’s making a gift, sharing our story, or simply keeping Gurap in your prayers, you are an integral part of what makes this school thrive. Every teacher hired, every lab built, every program launched starts with someone saying, “Yes, I want to help.”
If you’re able, now is a beautiful moment to invest in these students and their future. Together, we’re not just building a school—we’re shaping lives.
Aima sarhau,
Annette
PS—Later this week: Edufest, the sewing room, bookmarks, The Torch, and more!
The Biology Lab, a generous gift from the Desai Family, is the very first formal science lab on campus, and it opened with focused curiosity. After blessings and prayers for our students and donors, our 10th graders jumped straight into action. They dissected hibiscus flowers, and then explored plant cells and compared them with human blood cells under brand-new microscopes.
The room was silent and still, filled with focus, wonder, and a whole lot of excited energy. Students leaned in—15-year-old boys huddled together over a delicate flower, students asked questions and collaborated with one another on the answers, and then proudly presented what they learned—much to the delight of their teacher (and Fr. Maria Joseph!). One student even drew detailed diagrams of the plant parts on the board so everyone could learn together.
This lab is just the beginning. Each new space we build opens a door for students to discover what they’re capable of. None of it happens without people who care about creating opportunity through education.
If you’re curious about how you might help bring another learning space to life—perhaps with your family, club, or service group—I’d be happy to share more details. Reach out anytime at [email protected].
We’re excited to share some good news about Tribe Rising too. We’ve earned a Four-Star Rating from Charity Navigator, the nation’s largest charity evaluator. This is the highest possible rating on Charity Navigator, whose impartial, third-party evaluation validates our organization’s effectiveness and reliability. This milestone achievement couldn’t have happened without you and your support. Thank you for being part of our family as contributors, funders, and volunteers.
