Children in Brazil are learning how to advocate for their rights. Through the Urban Platform Program, young people are being trained in the skills of communications, advocacy, community organizing, and leadership. This intensive work takes place in Rio and São Paolo’s favelas, which are some of the most notorious urban slums in the world. We are grateful to have The Prudential Foundation as a partner supporting the Urban Platform Program, and when they visited Rio de Janeiro with me they were awed at these young people who were making their voices heard.

Sharon Leite, Pier 1 Imports’ Executive Vice President of Stores, presented Caryl Stern, President and CEO of the U. S. Fund for UNICEF, with a check for $1,607,976. The donation reflects the amount that Pier 1 Imports raised during the 2011 holiday season from the sale of UNICEF greeting cards in their stores across the United States. Understanding how much even $1 can do to help a child, I know that Pier 1’s efforts will make a huge impact on saving and improving children’s lives around the world.

In more than 30 countries maternal and neonatal tetanus (MNT) remains a risk. U.S. Fund for UNICEF staff and a team from Kiwanis International will travel to the Philippines to witness firsthand UNICEF programs to eliminate MNT there.

March 25 marked the end of World Water Week as well as the sixth year of another very successful UNICEF Tap Project campaign. The UNICEF Tap Project is a dynamic movement that affords everyone the opportunity to help provide the world’s children with clean, safe water through a number of fundraising and volunteer activities. This award-winning campaign celebrates the clean water we enjoy for free on a daily basis by encouraging supporters to help UNICEF provide this vital resource to children in developing countries.

Last year, Champions for Children voted on a portion of the Change for Good funds collected would go to help protect vulnerable children from exploitation and child trafficking in the Dominican Republic. The DR is one of the countries where the number of children being sexually exploited has skyrocketed alarmingly.

Thanks to generous American Airlines customers and dedicated employee volunteers known as Champions for Children, more than $1.34 million was raised in 2011 through UNICEF’s Change for Good program on American Airlines. Now in its 17th year, UNICEF’s Change for Good program on American Airlines is one of American’s largest—and one of its longest-running—employee-led charitable programs. It is primarily driven by the Champion for Children employee volunteers who encourage customers on select international American Airlines flights and Admirals Club lounges and Flagship Lounges worldwide to donate unused U.S. and foreign currencies to support UNICEF. On behalf of the world’s children, Thanks a Million+, American Airlines employee volunteers and customers.