CSP students are giving back with ‘Balance Boxes’

By early 2020, COVID-19 had already shaken the world as it swept over our country, causing many schools to shut their doors temporarily. Distance learning left many students from underserved communities without the necessary resources to learn and to stay engaged.

Chesapeake Science Point students Maya Holloman, Chloe Lee, and Madison Lee began searching for an organization that would benefit their community during these unprecedented times. They soon found “Balance Boxes” — a youth-led registered 501(c)3 non-profit that provides school-aged children 5-12 in low-income communities with enjoyable academic activities all over the world.

The CSP sophomores were vetted by their peers and accepted into the Balance Boxes Maryland chapter in 2020. As the students became more involved they invited CSP sophomore Alessandra Ortiz to join the organization. Holloman, now a vet in the organization advanced to the 2021

Balance Boxes executive board, and was named the Media and Community Relations Chair. The teen volunteers do everything from reaching out to companies for donations to packaging and delivering boxes.

Each box is created with a designated theme to ensure the boxes can be made to the child’s liking. Balance Boxes can include books, educational games, school supplies, theme-related toys, art projects, snacks, and information on how to register for free one-on-one virtual tutoring services.

In the organization’s first year, it has already spread to 23 states and 23 countries, donating over 5,000 boxes to underserved children, partnering with companies like LeapFrog, Toys for Tots, and Target.

The CSP students collectively feel very humbled to have the opportunity to give back to their community and communities around the globe and continually search for more ways to serve their community.

For more information on the organization or to learn how you can get involved, visit balanceboxes.org.

Chesapeake Science Point students are working with “Balance Boxes” — a youth-led registered 501(c)3 nonprofit that provides school-aged children in low-income communities with enjoyable academic activities all over the world. COURTESY PHOTO