Teen Board
The AJ Teen Board consists of high school students who attend a school in Wake County with a desire to:
01
ADVOCATE
Help promote the
Addis Jemari Mission
02
SERVE
Become involved in activities
that have a direct impact
on our programs in Ethiopia
03
LEARN
Experience opportunities
to learn about Addis Jemari,
as well as life in Ethiopia
04
LEAD
Strengthen leadership
and communication skills
05
ENGAGE
Assist in events sponsored
by Addis Jemari
06
IMPACT
Take an active role in helping
to change the lives of others
Young Leaders With a Heart for Ethiopia
The Addis Jemari Teen Board gives local high school students real leadership experience as they support vulnerable children and families in Ethiopia. Through service projects, events, and community outreach, they help transform lives close to home and across the world.
About the Teen Board
The Addis Jemari Teen Board is a group of Wake County high school students who give their time and talents to support orphaned and vulnerable children and families in Ethiopia. This year, more than 140 students from across the county have stepped up to serve.
The Teen Board does real work. Students plan and lead fundraising events and supply drives. They also design and pack the curriculum for eight weeks of summer camp in Addis Ababa.
Each fall, they host BBQ & Baskets, their signature event, where they handle everything from baking the desserts to running registration. In December,
they led the Christmas in Ethiopia campaign. Their efforts fund school supplies, tutoring, summer camp, and Christmas gifts for the children and families
AJ serves.
Some students take it a step further and travel to Ethiopia with the Teen Board mission team, serving alongside our staff and leading a week of camp in person.
Along the way, these students build leadership and service experience that stays with them long after high school, while helping families thousands of miles away move toward stability and hope.
What They Accomplished Last School Year
Last school year, about 90 Teen Board members showed what students can do when they commit to a mission. Together, they:
Gave more than 1,460
hours of service
Raised over $18,000 at BBQ & Baskets for school supplies, tutoring, backpacks, and shoes
Collected more than $7,856 in donated goods for AJ programs
Raised over $4,320 through the Christmas in Ethiopia campaign
Built all eight weeks of summer camp curriculum, including new STEM and photojournalism tracks
Sent 11 students to Ethiopia
as a Teen Board mission team
in summer 2026
Wrote more than 100 handwritten thank-you notes to donors
What They’re Saying
I joined the Addis Jemari Teen Board in 2022 because I wanted to be part of something larger than myself. Even though Addis Ababa is thousands of miles from my home, I was drawn to the idea that a group of high school students could come together and make a real difference in the lives of youth and families. What has kept me involved over the past four years is the belief that small acts of service can contribute to meaningful change. Working alongside a group of like-minded students, seeing our Christmas in Ethiopia campaign in action, and witnessing firsthand the joy and gratitude of the families and students we serve have taught me more about the world—and myself—than I ever could have imagined.
Erin
Honestly I did not know a lot about Addis Jemari before I joined the teen board. I decided to apply because my friend Caleigh recommended it. I figured I’d give it a shot to see what it was all about. What I didn’t expect was how much I’d actually love it. Being part of this board has been one of my favorite experiences this year. I came in not really knowing what to anticipate, and I left every meeting and event feeling like the work we were doing actually mattered.
Davis
I joined Addi’s Jemari largely because my mother and sister were both involved, and seeing the impact it had on them made me want to get involved. Addi’s Jemari has given me a community in Raleigh that exists outside of school. Through Addi’s Jemari I have gotten to create a 20 day STEM curriculum for their summer camp in Ethiopia and I have also gotten to go on a mission trip. It’s been a meaningful way to get involved, meet people, and feel connected to something bigger than myself.
Kyler
As I began preparing for my upperclassman years in high school, I felt the pressure to start participating in something meaningful outside of academics. I talked to some of my friends who were a part of the teen board, and they STRONGLY urged me to look into it. I felt that this could be a way to connect with other teenagers who are also motivated in the search for different opportunities to serve their communities. And oh how I was right! In this past year, I have built relationships with several boys and girls in the teen board, deepened my faith as a christian, and discovered new ways to apply my current skill set into bettering the lives of others.
Ivy
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