Charitable Fund
Overview
The Eloquence Charitable Fund has created positive change where it is needed most.
In debate, students explore real-world social issues, identify actionable ideas, and consider how public policies can have a measurable impact on the most vulnerable populations. A topic concerning the ban of single-use plastics might be a poignant reminder about environmental justice and its disparities, while another about blanket student loan forgiveness might raise questions about socioeconomic inequality, higher education, and race. In their feedback to us, many students expressed a desire to take action focused on community betterment and achieve a greater real-world impact.
The Charitable Fund was launched in 2022 and designed to reinforce the connection between advocacy and social change. Its values are embedded in how we think, act, and operate and are woven deep throughout our strategic plan. We pledged and maintain that any excess tournament revenue (normally between 25%-50%) will be directed towards various local and national charities. Thus, the donations made by the Fund are tied directly to student participation—each completed round contributes to a growing pool of giving.
In 2024, thanks to a generous grant from Youth Service America, the partnerships of Cornell University and Middlebury College, and the curriculum of Arizona State University, the Charitable Fund expanded into a larger educational framework integrated within our instructional programs. We adopted a broad, inclusive definition of historically underserved communities and recruited a team of six Service Learning Fellows. These fellows are specialists in guiding students to launch food drives, mental health awareness campaigns, and local nonprofit partnerships. Students are encouraged to work intentionally, align objectives with their academic and personal interests, apply the ASAP Strategy (Awareness, Service, Advocacy, and Philanthropy), and carefully monitor outputs. For this, we were named one of the top 75 afterschool programs by Youth Service America.
Program Focuses
✔️ Young people from low-income neighborhoods and families
✔️ Youth of color (Black, Hispanic/Latino, Asian, and Native/Indigenous)
✔️ Youth experiencing homelessness
✔️ Young people in foster care or aging out of the system
✔️ Youth with disabilities
✔️ Students in the juvenile justice system or those formerly incarcerated
✔️ Youth who are immigrants or refugees
✔️ Young people from military families
✔️ Youth who identify as LGBTQIA+
Program Partners
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Cornell University
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Middlebury College
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Razom for Ukraine
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Youth Service America
Service Leadership Office
The most prominent of our auxiliary programs, the Charitable Fund allows students a unique opportunity to explore their interests, expand their skills, gain real-world knowledge, and understand civic responsibility firsthand.
Welcome
Teaching civic responsibility firsthand
“Our students have moved beyond analyzing the issues to engaging in experiential learning, meeting with working professionals, understanding the civic sector, and even organizing social impact initiatives. From food drives to mental health campaigns, they are collaborating with our partners and tackling the issues head-on, rooted in purpose and measured in real-world results. ”
Take a moment to learn about the Eloquence Charitable Fund and about how our students better understand civic responsibility through purpose-driven action.
“Community service allows our students to enact a real-world impact for the causes that matter to them. Our students’ formation of durable skills through service is of utmost importance to me.
MarshKira Waldhalm, Director of the Charitable Fund
All the Numbers
552 Coats
14,550 Meals
$8k Donated
20k+ Hours
Donations By Year
Program Leadership
Kira Waldhalm
Director of Charitable Fund
kwaldhalm@eloquenceacademy.org
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Ms. Kira Waldhalm has served in a number of roles at Eloquence Academy, including Program Instructor, Rural Debate Ambassador, Program Manager, Service Learning Fellow, Interim Director of the Charitable Fund, and now, Director of the Charitable Fund. Ms. Waldhalm is renowned for her visionary leadership in developing and expanding the Charitable Fund.
Prior to these roles, Ms. Waldhalm spent her entire professional career at her alma mater, Middlebury College, where she worked in the admissions office to provide tours, support office workflow, and speak at information sessions for prospective undergraduate students. Ms. Waldhalm attended a rural high school in South Dakota, and her personal experience drew her to Eloquence Academy. There, Ms. Waldhalm competed in Lincoln Douglas Debate and notably placed fourth in the nation. Ms. Waldhalm is a recipient of the President’s Volunteer Service Award.
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Middlebury College
Degree: B.A.
Political Science & Chinese
Minor in Geography
Sowmiya Deventhira-Raja
Service Learning Coordinator
sdeventhiraraja@eloquenceacademy.org
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Ms. Sowmiya Deventhira-Raja joined Eloquence Academy as Service Learning Coordinator in 2024.
Previously, Ms. Deventhira-Raja was an educational consultant, mentoring students, judging at debate tournaments, and teaching mathematics through contracts at BioBizz and Bitcoding Academy. She competed in Public Forum Debate throughout high school, where she was captain of the debate team and advanced at tournaments like Pennsbury Falcon Invitational and the National Catholic Forensic League Tournament.
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Arnav Maheshwari
Service Learning Coordinator
amaheshwari@eloquenceacademy.org
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Mr. Arnav Maheshwari joined Eloquence Academy in 2023 as Service Learning Coordinator.
Previously, Mr. Maheshwari worked in academia and higher education. He conducted research on topics of environmental science, notably studying the model-predictive control on power grid infrastructure and the fast charging of renewable grids at Johns Hopkins University and University of Michigan respectively. Before those roles, Mr. Maheshwari was a researcher and leader at Outreach Debate where he expanded the volunteer base by 5-fold and created new resources for underserved schools. As a competitive debater, Mr. Maheshwari competed in Public Forum and advanced at tournaments like the Delores Taylor Arthur School Invitational and University of Kentucky Invitational. Ms. Maheshwari is a recipient of the President’s Volunteer Service Award.
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A coalition of projects addressing urgent social causes.
Core Values
Academic Lens — Partnerships — Planet
Partnerships
Empowering well-being, learning, and leadership
By 2030, we will have donated at least $100,000 to partner charities. Together, these funds will empower meaningful programs on all inhabited continents that support mental health, mentorship, and environment stewardship. Special emphasis will be placed on extending working relationships with the Asian American Legal Defense Fund, Feeding America, the One Warm Coat Foundation, and Trevor Project.
Planet
Prioritizing sustainability to thrive together
Climate change is one of the most pressing issues facing Generation Z, and is often discussed in debate topics and rounds. Eloquence Academy pays special attention to educating students about the issue through informative presentations, interactive discussions, and practical service activities. Recently, all students in debate classes researched how public transportation systems and high-speed rail trains can both hurt and harm the environment—complete with visits from guest speakers and an interactive mural-making craft with recyclable paints.
Academic Lens
Bringing an academic lens to community service
Many school districts follow a model where service is merely a check-off or graduation requirement. That mindset passes onto the principal, passes onto the teacher and, ultimately, down to the student. We look towards academic objectives by linking service to what students are learning in the classroom and finding a connection to meaningful engagement from beginning to end. Place-based service occurs when students participate in pre-organized service activities and then reflect on their experiences.
