Twenty eight percent of students in grades 6 – 12 report a bullying experience, most frequently in junior high. Many One Stone students had their own experience with bullying, either personally, or as witness to an incident, and felt this data point as a call to action.

In an early iteration of Two Birds, a team of One Stone summer interns put their genius creative skills to work in producing a video highlighting a project near and dear to their hearts, the P16 Caldwell Education Project. One Stone first engaged with the program through Reach, a project serving at risk teens in Caldwell.

The Caldwell Freshman Academy, a school for at-risk freshman transitioning into high school, was a key player in the P16 strategy. With this understanding, One Stone developed “Reach,” a project designed to challenge Academy students to reach for high goals and expectations—attending postsecondary education, serving others and building community.

The experience of being a young kid in an active duty military family brings some challenges. One of those is connecting, in fun ways, to other kids and families who share this same experience. At One Stone, we know a thing or two about fun, so with guidance from family counselors and experts at the Idaho National Guard and Operation: Military Kids at the University of Idaho, Team One Stone created the “Day of Knights & Princesses” event.

Think 4-Ward was a One Stone challenge to raise awareness and educate the community about resource consumption and conservation in the Treasure Valley. One Stone partnered with Idaho Power, Boise Watershed and the City of Boise to create a four-week community challenge that encouraged people to take measures to save resources in their own homes. The four focus areas of conservation – the Elements, included electricity (fire), recycling (earth), pollution (air), and water.

Small pieces…big pictures was the theme for Break Through 2012, One Stone’s alternative spring break project. The event was held in Marsing, Idaho, population 1,031.  Much of the two-day project was focused on turning tragedy into change, as this small town was still reeling from the loss of Taylor Sauer, a Marsing High School graduate who was killed while texting and driving. At the time of her death, Taylor was in college studying to be a teacher. As a memorial to her, the town had envisioned an outdoor classroom at Marsing Elementary School.