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Start a High School Club!

Join the nationwide network of clubs and go beyond displaying the banner

 

In 2018, Corey Udell, a student and baseball player at Ponte Vedra High School in north Florida, was inspired by the work of BairFind, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit focused on extending the public search for missing children. With assistance from BairFind, Udell took initiative and created a club at his school to educate and engage his fellow students in the search for missing children, the first of its kind in the nation! Shortly thereafter another club launched at Titusville High and then Nease High School! The Missing Child Project gives everyone an opportunity to join in the search for missing children and The Missing Child Project Club (The MCP Club) is a way for students to join the search for missing students in their area.

Club Requirements:

1. A $100 tax-deductible donation is required to start a club for the current school year.
2. Each club must designate officers (President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, etc.).
3. Each club must conduct a minimum of four meetings per school year, with meeting agendas/educational information to be provided by The MCP.
4. Each club must record volunteer hours for each member.
5. Each club is asked to conduct a fundraiser for The MCP, with a portion to go to The MCP to facilitate club expansion into schools across the country, and a portion to benefit the school’s club.

What You Get:

1. A 3’x5’ vinyl banner with grommets featuring profiles of missing children specific to your area.
2. A subscription to The MCP updates as featured missing children are safely located, to last the entire school year.
3. “FOUND” decals for placement on missing child profiles as they are safely located.
4. Club meeting agendas to include educational information and discussion topics for club members.
5. Fundraising suggestions for The MCP and your school’s club, including awards for the clubs that raise the most funds.

6. Volunteer hours for club members, including fundraising projects and social media projects.

7. A top-of-the-resume community service project for each club member’s college applications, and a letter of recommendation from The MCP.

8. The tremendous feeling of accomplishment when your club places a “FOUND” decal on a child’s profile, leadership skills and experience, self-respect, compassion for others, and much more!

What Students Are Saying

  • I have always loved service. The feeling of giving back gives me so much joy, even if it’s something small – like holding the door open for someone whose hands are full. Cory Udel, someone that I met when I was very young, started a club at his high school that used social media as a platform to help find missing teens. My mother introduced me to this club, and with my schedule, I didn’t think that I was able to do it as I was juggling so many things. The club seemed very interesting, but I knew I would have been swamped if I added anything else to my plate. Little did I know that this club was the perfect thing for me! A great thing about The Missing Child Project is that you can put as little or as much energy as possible into it, whether it’s throwing a fundraiser or hanging up a poster with missing children. That is why I started the club – for a good cause and its flexibility.

    Becca Snyder, President, Titusville High School “Missing Child Project” Club

  • The reality of the world we live in is that more children have gone missing as a result of Covid-19. The new chapter of the Missing Child Project that you create can help lead to a tip that saves a missing child. If you are unable to create a chapter at this moment, please share this cause with people who can, because a simple act such as telling a friend about our cause can set off a chain of events that helps save a missing child. In other words, we need everybody’s help.

    Corey Udell, Creator of the first “Missing Child Project” Club

Current High School Programs:

Beachside High School | St Johns, FL

Creekside High School | St. Johns, FL

Fletcher High School | Neptune Beach, FL

Mandarin High School | Jacksonville, FL

Nease High School | Ponte Vedra, FL

Ponte Vedra High School | Ponte Vedra, FL

Providence High School | Jacksonville, FL

Download The MCP HS Club Sponsor Form here.

Log Your Student Volunteer Hours Here

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    Our goal is to make The MCP Club as turnkey as possible for the sponsor and fun and easy to lead for the student participants. Interested in starting a chapter of The MCP Club in your school? Fill out the form below.

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      Frequently Asked Questions

      Is it necessary to fundraise?
      Fundraising is not required, however, we encourage clubs to do so.

      Can we make specific requests to feature a missing child that is not on the sign on the MCP social media?
      Your club may feature area missing children not on the sign on club social media at the discretion of the Sponsor.

      If one of our featured children is safely located, how can we find out if it is a direct result of us featuring that child?

      Due to privacy laws and the nature of anonymous tips, we do not receive specific information as to the exact circumstances of the child being found. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) has notified us that this child has been safely located. The NCMEC states, “Please note that due to the nature of the calls received through our call center regarding our posters, it is sometimes difficult to determine exactly where the person may have seen the poster; however, we feel that the more exposure our posters receive the more likely it is that someone will recognize a child and lead to a recovery.”

      We lost our sign or our stickers. How do we get new ones?
      We recommend putting the found stickers in a safe place until needed for the sign. If they are lost, the club can create a found sticker to place on the sign. It should be placed from lower left corner to upper right corner.

      How and when do we know when to put on the found stickers?
      You receive a subscription to The MCP updates as featured missing children are safely located, to last the entire school year.

      How do we handle donations?
      The MCP is a program of The BairFind Foundation, Inc. a registered nonprofit 501(C)(3) organization. Donations are tax-deductible to the extent provided by law and an acknowledgment letter is sent to the donor for their tax recordation.