A book about African refugees has created a movement at Stillwater Junior High School. For the past two years, ninth graders at Stillwater have studied the Sudanese Civil War by reading the book, They Poured Fire On Us From The Sky. They’ve also had the chance to meet two of the book’s authors and hear firsthand the story of more than 27,000 “lost boys of the Sudan” who were orphaned during the second Sudanese Civil War and battled disease, war, hunger and more on their journey to freedom.

Through these lessons, the students have become passionate advocates for the people of Sudan, and have worked to raise money to help combat the water crisis plaguing school children around the world. Their passion has spread throughout the school and into the Stillwater community. More than $15,000 has been raised by Stillwater students; enough money to build three wells providing clean water and sanitation to the people of Sudan. And they aren’t done yet.

Watch a video, created by teacher Sara Damon and her ninth grade geography students, to learn more about the Stillwater Junior High students’ efforts to make a difference in their global community.