Kids 4 Our World founded by Bonita Vista High Freshman

As a freshman in high school, most students are still trying to find their way, getting used to their classes and making a place for themselves at school. Bonita Vista High Freshman Miguel Aldrete has not only found his way, he’s making his own path towards making the world a better place.

At the age of 8, Aldrete heard about the problem of deforestation and knew that it was up to him to make a difference. His solution was to write two books and use the profits towards finding solutions to some of the world’s environmental problems.

The Adventures of Matt Hanckers series was born and “The Glowing Mask in Hawaii” and “The Mayan Prophecy” began to fund Aldrete’s work. As he says, “You don’t have to be an adult or famous to make a difference in our world.”

With almost five years and 14,000 trees planted in seven different countries, Aldrete has recruited his friends from Olympian High (OLH) and Rancho del Rey Middle (RDM) for what is proving to be the biggest project to date – planting 1,600 trees in an area that has been 90% deforested in Costa Rica during the summer of 2015.

The group, known as the K4OW International Ambassadors includes Miguel Angel Aldrete (BVH), Alejandro Avalos (RDM), Luis Enrique Avalos (OLH), Ryan Didonato (OLH), Dennis “DJ” O’Brien (OLH), and Manuel Aguilera-Prieto (OLH).

In collaboration with the La Reserva Forest Foundation, the group of Kids for Our World Ambassadors plan on raising $23,000 to plant 1,600 trees, help three species of endangered monkeys and participate in a cultural exchange with the indigenous Maleku people of Costa Rica.

In addition, the group of ambassadors – all avid soccer fans and players – will be introducing an eco-friendly called the “Soccket Ball” to the Maleku. The soccer ball, when used for play, generates a clean-power LED lamp that is located inside the ball. One hour of play can generate up to 3 hours of light.

“We wanted to take our requirement for community service hour requirements to the next level,” said Aguilera-Prieto. “We want to truly make an impact in our school, in our communities and in our world.”

For more information about Kids 4 Our World and to make a donation to their cause, visit www.kids4ourworld.org