Capstone project addresses global issue on local level to serve those in financial need

While a taboo subject, menstruation is a normal part of life for more than half of the human population. However, menstruation products are expensive, and sometimes are really hard to get. Thankfully, two West seniors are trying to combat the problem for people here in the Fox Valley.

For the Global Capstone project, students have to create a project about a subject that they are passionate about. Seniors Olivia Baus and Annabelle Brest partnered up in hopes to educate individuals on period poverty, receive their Certificate of Global Competency, and make a difference in the community

“The goal of the certificate is to say you’ve gone through four years of global learning and you’re an emerging global citizen,” Global English teacher Kelly Wayne said. “Hopefully, by achieving the global certificate, I want students to feel proud of the Capstone project of their choosing and the work they put into it. The certificate is really a culmination of four years of work, exploring different passions and topics, learning about different places, ending with this final note.”

The projects serve as a way to present what they have learned through their classes.

“The idea is to pick a topic that students are passionate about and combine it with a global issue, and then typically in some way it ends up benefiting the community around us as well,” Wayne said. “Students need 20 hours minimum in service towards this project and a final reflection. All of it is sort of a cherry on top to their experience in the Global Academy.”

The project’s process and requirements were explained to Global level 3 students at the end of last year.

“My mom got the opportunity to volunteer at Kimberly-Clark diaper bank in Appleton, and she invited me to come. There we met the President and CEO of United Way Fox Cities, Peter Gianopoulos,” Baus said. “He was talking to us about the different issues in the community, so when we had to brainstorm ideas, I thought of this.”

Baus and Brest saw this project as a great opportunity to connect a global issue to the community of Oshkosh.

“They’re really passionate about period poverty and how a lot of people in our world and community don’t have access to feminine hygiene products, due to cost, location, where they live, and other extenuating circumstances,” Wayne said. “They felt as women that it’s something they wanted to tackle and try to make a difference in our community through drives to both raise funds to buy feminine hygiene products and for people to donate products for people in need.”

Period poverty isn’t an issue that gets discussed often within the Global Capstone projects, making this issue even more important for them.

“We both have strong opinions about the subject, so when Olivia brought the idea to me, I thought it was great because if it's not normalized, it's never going to be talked about,” Brest said.

Period poverty can affect a large percentage of the world’s population; any help, even on a community level, can make a big difference in peoples’ lives.`

“With money being tight, people have to choose, do they buy tampons at the store or food for their family,” Wayne said. “We hope that people in our community don’t have to make those sorts of decisions.”

But this topic can also meet some hesitancy due to the nature of their project. 

“When I was thinking about all of the different Capstone projects, they all have a sort of uniqueness to them. I think Annabelle and Liv’s, in particular, address a problem that in society a lot of people don’t think about,” Wayne said. “The idea of even talking about menstrual cycles in our society is taboo. I think they are really bold for choosing a topic that people are a bit uncomfortable talking about, but also it’s part of human nature.”

Their passion for this issue helps them push past that and keep working towards their end goal.

“It’s good for them to pick a topic they’re passionate about without backing down from the stigmas of society,” Wayne said.

The peak of their timeline is in October, but they plan to go much longer than that.

“We hope to go through December 2, to end it with the Race for the Light through the United Way,” Brest said.

The two are trying to spread information as well as organizing drives for period products. These drives consist of boxes for people to donate, unopened pads and liners, along with the duo handing out flyers and explaining what they do throughout the community.

“We’re planning on having one at the Homecoming football game, and then we will hopefully have boxes by the main entrances. We are also setting up drives at North High School and all the middle schools for the entire month of October,” Baus said. 

They also started an Instagram account, @fighting_period poverty, to get the word out. On there, they post about upcoming drives, where people can find them, and information about period poverty. 

“Hopefully, this is something that global students can bring forward with them through college, the work force, and beyond, just making positive changes in the community and learning about themselves in the process,” Wayne said.  

by  Tenna Ruetten and Addi Isely

Published October 2 2023

Oshkosh West Index Volume 120 Issue I