Number of Participants: 2
Hours Donated: 10
Value of Time Served: $696
Event Type: Education & Literacy
Activity: Other
School: Half Hollow Hills High School East
Date: August 18, 2026
Location:
Half Hollow Hills High School East
Vanderbilt Parkway, Dix Hills
NY
About:
Congratulations to Hills East student Ethan Levenstien, who recently turned a $400 grant into a meaningful opportunity to promote reading, kindness, and inclusion among local children.
Ethan received the grant through The Contribution Project at Cornell University and used the funding to purchase books for the Little Lev Library, an initiative focused on putting inspiring and empowering books into the hands of young readers.
With the support of the grant, Ethan organized a Friendship Book Fair at the Gerald Ryan Outreach Summer Camp in Wyandanch. Approximately 50 elementary school campers participated in the event, with each child able to select and take home two books from a collection of 140 titles.
The books were thoughtfully chosen around themes including friendship, kindness, inclusion, positivity, resilience, self-confidence, and neurodiversity, giving campers the opportunity to find stories that both reflected their experiences and encouraged them to see new possibilities.
By combining literacy with messages of empathy and belonging, Ethan created an experience that went far beyond simply giving away books. The Friendship Book Fair helped young people discover stories that can build confidence, spark conversations, and reinforce the importance of treating others with compassion and understanding.
Ethan’s project is a wonderful example of how one student can use creativity, initiative, and service to make a meaningful impact in the lives of others.
