2011: Paper Cranes for Japan Challenge
In 2011, Students Rebuild partnered with DoSomething.org and Architecture for Humanity to give students a way to support their Japanese peers affected by the earthquake and tsunami that struck Sendai. We asked students to make paper cranes and mail them to have their efforts matched by the Bezos Family Foundation.
Your paper cranes generated $400,000 to rebuild Japan
Youth from around the world folded paper cranes to support Sendai, Japan after it was hit by a massive earthquake and tsunami on March 11, 2011. The Bezos Family Foundation donated funding for each crane, resulting in $400,000 in donations to DoSomething.org and Architecture for Humanity.
$400,000
raised of $400,000 goal
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creative expressions
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youth engaged
Why the Paper Cranes for Japan Challenge?
On March 11, 2011 a massive earthquake and tsunami struck Sendai, Japan.
The earthquake and tsunami destroyed schools, libraries, stores, and parks, and pushed many families out of their homes—leaving young people without spaces to study or spend time with other children after school. As our teams connected and followed Japan’s recovery process from classrooms around world, they learned that rebuilding isn’t just about building schools or homes, but also inspiring a renewed sense of community and belonging.
When 2 million cranes showed up, we knew we could make a difference together.
In Japan the crane is a special symbol of hope, thought to bring healing during challenging times. Together, students around the world made more than 2 million origami cranes and raised $500,000 to support the design, repair, and construction of youth facilities. Architecture for Humanity worked with local partners to design and build a youth center and give students in Japan inspiring places to learn and thrive.
We built the “We are One” center as a space to for young people to gather.
One of the places built was the ‘We Are One’ center, called Kitakami. This space was designed to provide close, fresh food to the residents of Kitakami and also create a place for students to hang out after school. After the construction was completed, the community used the center right away.
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The programs your art helps fund
For each Students Rebuild annual Project, we partner with high-impact organizations working on the ground to help strengthen communities worldwide—many of them household names. The funds we donate transform student work into immediate, on-the-ground progress for carefully vetted programs that are evaluated according to the outcomes they produce. In addition to extending our reach and helping our funding make more of a difference, our partners also inform the resources we provide to teachers and students.
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