Carter Buchholz Names to 2018 KIDBOX Kids Board of Directors

Carter Buchholz, an incoming fifth-grade student at Wooster City School District’s (WCSD) Edgewood Middle School, was recently named to the 2018 KIDBOX Kids Board of Directors following his dedication to service projects and volunteering.

Carter applied to be on the KIDBOX Kids Board of Directors and was accepted as one of 12 students from across the U.S. who will remain on the Board throughout the 2018-19 school year. KIDBOX is a clothing-in-a-box startup that combines cool brands, meaningful savings and a vision to clothe children in need.

As a result of his designation, Carter was recently flown to New York City for the Kids Board of Directors’ first meeting. The students presented their “Big Ideas” to a panel of judges, describing what they would do in their own communities with $10,000 worth of new clothing donated by KIDBOX. 

Carter's proposal centered on providing clothing to a group of Wooster students who are in need. Carter is already at work with his mentor Merrie Keller, director of product procurement at Delivering Good (the non-profit organization that KIDBOX partners with to distribute new clothing to children in need), to launch the initiative in the fall.

“We are extremely proud of Carter for becoming a member of the KIDBOX Kids Board, which is entirely a result of his desire to make a difference and his passion for giving back,” said Erin Buchholz, Carter’s mother and WSCD school psychologist.

While he was a fourth-grade student at Parkview Elementary School, Carter participated in several service-oriented projects through The Leader in Me program, including helping a younger second-grade student practice his reading skills. As a reward, Carter presented his reading buddy with a book set. His reading buddy will receive a KIDBOX, which includes several items of new clothing to wear to school, in the near future. 

Carter also met with outgoing Parkview Principal Sara Crooks every week for two months to plan a school-wide Greenpeace fundraiser. He came up with the idea for the fundraiser after reading a National Geographic Kidsarticle about the impacts of global warming on polar bears. It made perfect sense for Carter to choose Greenpeace, since it is a global organization that uses creative communication to expose environmental issues and promote solutions that are essential to a green and peaceful future.

During Earth Week, Carter announced a fact about global warming each day on the morning announcements and presented an informative slideshow to the school. In total, Carter raised $630 for Greenpeace!

This year, Carter plans to continue his service projects during Global Climate Change Week (Oct. 15-21, 2018) by advocating for the decreased use of electronics. He also plans to work with KIDBOX on making an Earth Day (April 22) shirt to include in spring boxes. 

Carter will officially hold his position on the KIDBOX Kids Board of Directors through July 2019.

“We are so very proud of Carter for his hard work and especially for his kindness and compassion for others,” said Superintendent Dr. Michael Tefs. “Carter is a terrific young man who is representing Wooster incredibly well.”