Thousands of quarters, dimes, nickels, and pennies collected recently over a five-week period in every classroom at Middleburg's Hill School added up to a sizable chunk of change that was donated to six different local charities during a school assembly in early March. It's estimated that about $10 billion in loose change collects on bureau dressers, kitchen counters, empty jars, cushy sofas, and plenty of other places around America, an average of about $90 per household that is not being put to use. Another estimate calculates $62 million in spare change is discarded every year. And so, several years ago, a nonprofit organization based in Maine called World of Change was formed to try to collect some of those precious coins and then donate 100 percent of the proceeds to worthy causes.

Two Hill students, seventh grader Zoe Korff and eighth grader Tim Hubbard, volunteered to attend a World of Change presentation last September. They came back excited about the program and very eager to help launch an effort at Hill under the direction of Kelly Johnson, their faculty advisor and the school's Director of Enrollment.

"Zoe and Tim provided the energy and leadership for this program. They researched local organizations, decided which ones to support, and held an all school assembly to educate our community," Johnson said. "It was their passion to help others that made all of this happen."

And the bottom line on "all of this?"

After distributing jars to every classroom on campus to collect all those coins—and then adding more jars when the originals could hold no more—students, faculty, and staff had deposited the equivalent of 4,000 quarters, 7,000 dimes, 800 nickels and 996 pennies, a total of 12,796 coins that added up to a grand total of $1,749.96. Talk about Ka-Ching!!!!

"We learned so much" at the presentation," Zoe Korff said, "and I thought it would be a cool opportunity for Hill. We worked with the student council, and we had a five-week period where we had the jars in each classroom with each of the charities names on them. Some of them got too full and we had to add more jars. That was great."

"I thought it was a brilliant idea," Tim Hubbard said. "Knowing how many students we had, it was pretty easy for everyone to go back home and find a little change. And it wasn't just the students. Our faculty and staff contributed, too."

All that money went directly to six Northern Virginia-based programs that are doing life-changing work in the areas of housing, food security, education, financial literacy, and health and wellness. Private donors, foundations, and sponsors cover World of Change's operating costs, so 100 percent of the change can make a significant difference.

The six charities included Backpack Buddies; All Ages Read Together; The Truth 365; Operation Hope; Kaboom, and Comfort Cases.

Backpack Buddies President Dan Hampton attended the assembly along with representatives from All Ages Read Together and The Truth 365. He told the students that in his nonprofit's Loudoun County area, "2,500 to 3,000 kids do not have enough food on the weekends, and our group came together to make sure that doesn't happen."

Lauren Wilczynski represented All Ages Read Together and said, "We offer free pre-school to children who cannot afford it. We partner with people in the community at libraries and community centers throughout Loudoun County to provide early literacy to at-risk preschool students so they do not fall behind."

The Truth 365 is an umbrella organization that raises awareness of childhood cancer research and was represented by Susan Mannion and Aylssa Michener.

"We focus on non-toxic treatments," Mannion said. "And we do outreach programs with families and smaller foundations. What these students at Hill have done is just a wonderful thing."

Treavor Lord, Hill's Head of School, talks frequently with students regarding their efforts and their ability to facilitate change. "Students learn that there is a direct correlation between the effort they put into a project – whether it be a writing assignment, their math homework, or an endeavor like World of Change – and the results," he said. "I am exceptionally proud of the effort Zoe, Tim, and the rest of the school put into this project and the impact they made for these local organizations is remarkable."