In this video, we watch the faces of three lucky school kids as they realize they’ve just received an amazing gift from their teacher: These serious readers are going to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at the Universal Orlando Resort in Florida. It’s not Hogwarts, and they won’t be traveling via the Floo Network, but it’s as close as the average muggle can get to the real thing.
All three of them read the entire Harry Potter heptalogy in fifth grade last year, and their reading teacher, Ms. Burke, raised the funds required for this unforgettable reward. Their excitement is palpable, and the video itself is charming enough to warm even the Dursleys’ cold hearts.
The kids attend a KIPP New Jersey school—the KIPP Bold Academy in Newark. KIPP stands for “Knowledge Is Power Program,” and it’s the name of a nationwide nonprofit that operates free, open-enrollment, college-prep charter schools in underserved communities. Their goal is to give children a fair chance to grow up as successful, productive, happy adults.
Beginning with magic wands and butterbeer, of course.
