Sports tournaments, candy grams, research projects, world fairs, and pasta dinners — these are just some of the creative ways students have taken action against hunger so far this year. To highlight our incredible student fundraisers, we've launched a monthly spotlight series on Facebook. Today, we're rounding up some of our stars from the first quarter — and we hope that these three student fundraising stories will inspire you to act against hunger.

Farhiyo Hassan's Africa Rising Expedition

“You don’t have to be an adult to help create change. It doesn’t matter if you’re 12 or if you’re 81, if you want change, you fight for it. That’s something I value because of Action Against Hunger,” explains Farhiyo Hassan as she discusses her Africa Rising Expedition school project. Farhiyo attends Casco Bay High School in Portland, Maine.

Farhiyo's dedication, in-depth research, and presentation to a panel of experts on hunger issues and Action Against Hunger’s work in Kenya earned her a place as a finalist in her school’s Africa Rising Expedition, which included a prize of $2,000, which she donated to our work. We would like to congratulate Farhiyo for her hard work on the Africa Rising Project, which was not only an important learning experience for her, but also an opportunity to have a direct impact on world hunger and make a difference.

For more information on what inspired Farhiyo to fight world hunger, please visit her Facebook Spotlight.

Stevenson High School's Diversity Council

The Diversity Council at Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire, Illinois focuses on uniting the community to address global issues. By organizing two events benefiting Action Against Hunger, the Council members worked together to help fight world hunger. In November, they hosted a Fast-A-Thon to raise awareness of hunger and demonstrate solidarity with people around the globe who participate in fasts in observance of cultural traditions. In January, they held their annual World’s Fair, one of Stevenson High School’s long-standing traditions, to celebrate the diverse countries, cultures, and cuisines of the student body.  In addition to highlighting various cultures, the fair raised awareness about world hunger, and all the funds raised by the event supported Action Against Hunger’s work across the globe. Students agreed that their "takeaway" from the events was gaining the insight that “when our community comes together as a whole and works towards a goal, success is achievable.”

Read more in our Facebook Spotlight on Stevenson High School.

Marvin Childress’s Fifth Grade Hungry Minds Pasta Dinner 

The Hungry Minds Pasta Dinner, hosted by Mr. Childress’s fifth grade students at Abraham Lincoln School in Oak Park, Illinois, brings together family and friends to share a healthy meal and raise funds to fight hunger. This fundraising event is the culmination of the students' research on hunger — and on organizations dedicated to fighting it. This year, after their research, Mr. Childress’s fifth grade class chose to donate their Pasta Dinner event proceeds to Action Against Hunger.

“I learned the importance of giving to people who are less fortunate. I am very happy that my school and I could help the hungry,” said Daaniyah, a fifth grade student in the participating class.

Check out Mr. Childress's fifth grade class Facebook Spotlight for more stories from his students.

Hats off to our terrific student fundraisers! Stay tuned for another update on our student programs in the coming months.

Do you know any #StudentsXHunger? Please contact us at students@actionagainsthunger.org to join in the fight to end world hunger. We also invite you to learn more about our student initiatives here.