SOUTHWICK – Ryder Pieczarka, an eighth-grade student at Southwick Regional School, is this year’s Project 351 ambassador for the school.
A non-profit and youth-driven organization in Massachusetts that allows eighth graders to make a difference in their community, Project 351 was first launched by former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick in 2011, and has been continued by Gov. Charlie Baker. Every town in the state is required to have an eighth-grade student be selected for Project 351 to represent their community.
Ryder Pieczarka (back, center) is seen with other Project 351 ambassadors from schools throughout Massachusetts during the Launch day in Boston. (Photo from Sara Pieczarka)
In order for a school to select a Project 351 ambassador, the guidance counselor talks to all the teachers in the grade and has them submit recommendations. The guidance counselor then takes the top nominees to the administration and discuss with them which student would best represent their school for Project 351.
Rachel Deery, the seventh and eighth grade guidance counselor at the Southwick Regional School, said that it was an easy decision to choose Pieczarka.
“He’s always kind of risen to the top, not just as a good academic student, but as a good all-around person,” said Deery.
Deery added that Pieczarka was the recipient of the character award last year for seventh grade students at the school.
Part of being a Project 351 Ambassador involves participating in Launch Day in Boston, which is the kick-off event where all the eighth-grade ambassadors gather. A long day that consists of meeting new people, it’s not an event for everyone.
“We’re looking for kids who can get on a bus of strangers and go to Boston for the day and be able to acclimate and want to give back to the community,” said Deery.
Once arriving at Launch Day in Boston, which took place Saturday January 19, Pieczarka and his fellow peers listened to a speech by Gov. Baker at Faneuil Hall, explaining to the ambassadors what their day was going to look like.
The students split up into different groups and Pieczarka was part of a group that went to a community service center and made packages of hygiene products for children in foster care.
Ryder Pieczarka, an eighth grader at the Southwick Regional School, took part in the Project 351 Launch and Service Day in Boston recently. (Photo by Greg Fitzpatrick)
After getting back on a bus to go back to Fanueil Hall to end the day, Pieczaraka remembers seeing almost 20 tubs of hygiene products that he helped make, along with 10 book bags that they also made.
“It was great,” said Pieczarka. “It was crazy to look out the window and see how much we did.”
At the end of Launch Day Pieczarka was glad that he was selected as an ambassador and took part in the event in Boston.
“Getting home, I had a complete new perspective on life and how I should use my time more to help others who are in need,” said Pieczarka.
Moving forward with his duty as a Project 351 ambassador, Pieczarka will now have to complete three service projects. The first project will be in the spring and will support Cradles to Crayons, a national, non-profit organizationthat provides very essential items to children up to the ages of 12-years-old that are either homeless or living with low income. Cradles to Crayons supplies the items for free to the children by working with the communities that are in need.
According to Cradles to Crayons, the average U.S. family in poverty that consists of two adults and two children, live on less than $24,000 a year. In Massachusetts, more than 305,000 children that are 12-years-old or younger live in a low-income residence.
Pieczarka is also looking to do a hat or shoe drive that will benefit children that will be supported by Cradles to Crayons.
