CHAMPS Program
There are many opportunities for you to become a part of CHAMPS and our mission to one day live in a mine-free world. CHAMPS campaigns in 16 states have successfully sponsored 50 mine detection dogs, have helped hundreds of survivors receive proper medical care and rehabilitation, and have connected students from across the world to promote awareness of the global landmine issue. CHAMPS is also expanding into Canada, and MLI invites schools, students, teachers, and parents to join the campaign!
What is CHAMPS?
MLI staff visit schools and community groups around the U.S. to teach students and young people about landmines and their effects on people in other countries. Through simulated minefield demonstrations with MLI’s “canine ambassador,” a retired mine detection dog, youth witness how Mine Detection Dogs (MDDs) restore safety by “sniffing out” landmines.
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Youth can then initiate their own CHAMPS campaign to raise money and sponsor their very own MDD. Students have the opportunity to name their dog, and MLI staff will provide regular reports on the dog’s progress so that the youth are able to see the positive impact their MDD is having on a war-torn community.
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Additionally, MLI connects students with schools in mine-affected countries to promote global awareness and mutual understanding. Through monthly video conferences, the youth are not only able to learn about each other, but the children in the mine-affected countries often identify young landmine survivors in their community that the students in the U.S. can then raise money to support.
Successes
278,000+
People have received lifesaving Mine Risk Education
1,754
Landmine survivors assisted through CHAMPS
$900,000
Money raised by CHAMPS kids to sponsor 50 MDDs
U.S. Campaigns
Click on the bubbles in each state to read about previous CHAMPS Campaigns!
Since the program began in 2003, MLI’s CHAMPS team has given hundreds of presentations throughout the U.S. Thirty-one U.S. schools have been engaged with CHAMPS, and more than 200 international video calls have taken place between American youth and peers abroad.
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CHAMPS programs have been established in Afghanistan, Bosnia, Iraq, Lebanon, Vietnam, and Yemen. U.S. students, touched by survivors’ stories, have raised money providing hundreds of landmine survivors with the medical treatment they need.
Learn about CHAMPS Bosnia - MLI's Longest Running CHAMPS Program
Ongoing Campaigns
CHAMPS campaigns are currently ongoing in California, Connecticut, Florida, Maryland, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Texas. If you are interested in getting involved in CHAMPS, please contact us!
There are currently five ongoing campaigns held by different CHAMPS groups. Each campaign is fundraising $20,000 to sponsor a mine detection dog! Josef Marschall of Maryland, Glenelg Country School, the students and community of Dayton, Ohio, and multiple schools in Connecticut are working hard to help those in war-torn countries live free from the fear of landmines. To help and check out how each campaign is doing, click the fundraise buttons below.
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Aiden's MDD Campaign
Aiden Ragimov, an Azerbaijani American student, has launched a campaign to sponsor a Mine Detection Dog for Azerbaijan. MDDs play a critical role in helping to identify dangerous landmines still hidden in the ground in Azerbaijan. MDDs are aiding in the effort to help “sniff out” mines and save lives, allowing people and animals to live, work, and play in safety. Please help Aiden reach his goal to sponsor a Mine Detection Dog for Azerbaijan!
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Connecticut
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CHAMPS
Glenelg Country School
CHAMPS
Poolesville, Maryland
​Poolesville High School students are on a mission to help people in mine impacted communities. Poolesville High School has been involved in MLI's Peacemakers and Problem Solvers program for the past two years and have launched this fundraising campaign to spread awareness of the threat of landmines and to raise money for a lifesaving mine detection dog. Your involvement is critical to the students’ success and ability to make a positive impact in the world. Thank you for your help!
Aiden Ragimov's Campaign
Aiden Ragimov, an 11th-grade CHAMPS student at McLean High School, is challenging himself to raise the funds to sponsor his very own Mine Detection Dog (MDD). His goal is to sponsor an MDD over the coming year to send to Azerbaijan to assist in the ongoing effort to clear landmines from the country's recently liberated rejoins. By supporting Aiden's effort to sponsor a mine detection dog, you will be creating a lifesaving impact and supporting the movement to create a mine-free world where all can walk the earth in safety.
Completed: JonPaul's Survivor's Assistance Campaign
Thank you to everyone that contributed! Click this button to read more.
Meet Canine Ambassador Rico Cosby
After six years of dedicated and lifesaving work sniffing out landmines in Bosnia and Herzegovina, MDD Rico Cosby retired in the summer of 2022 and was adopted by MLI's Educational Programs Director, Anne Wooleyhand, to become MLI's Canine Ambassador! MDD Rico, who was sponsored by Henry Harris & The Brunswick School as part of the CHAMPS program, along with his handler Kenan Mahira Gluhovic, were an outstanding example of the incredible impact a man-dog team can have on mine clearance operations. Together, they contributed to the clearance of more than 600,000 square meters of land and were part of making Sarajevo mine free in 2020.
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Today, Rico is enjoying his golden years at home with Anne and her husband Eric. Although Rico no longer spends his days searching for landmines, some things never change - his favorite foods are Frosty Paws and dog cookies, only second to his favorite toy, the kong! As MLI's Canine Ambassador, Rico is helping to spread awareness of the landmine issue by traveling throughout the U.S. and meeting with youth, teachers, and others who are interested in learning more about the impact of lifesaving dogs like himself.
You can follow the adventures of Rico’s retirement on Facebook and Instagram @mddrico.
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If you are interested in having MDD Rico visit your school so you can learn more about CHAMPS and our landmine removal programs, send us a message or call 703-243-9200.
Special Opportunities
In many cases, student leaders who have led CHAMPS campaigns are nominated by their teacher to visit Washington, D.C. and attend MLI’s annual Clearing the Path Gala. The Gala offers an opportunity for student leaders and teachers to learn more about our work, meet other honorees, and tour the nation’s capital during their stay. While we are pleased to provide complementary Gala tickets to CHAMPS student leaders and teachers, we are unable to assist with travel or accommodation costs.
Student leaders and teachers from CHAMPS campaigns also have had the opportunity to travel with MLI staff as members of donor delegations to mine-affected countries to see their sponsored Mine Detection Dogs at work, meet government officials who oversee demining operations, and interact with the host country’s CHAMPS leaders. Donor delegations must bear the cost of travel expenses.
Interested in a CHAMPS Presentation?
CHAMPS Presentation Options:
CHAMPS General Presentation
Appropriate for 2nd grade and older
Information about the Marshall Legacy Institute and the work this non-profit organization does. The presentation will also cover a basic overview of the humanitarian impact of landmines and the work being done around the world to locate and remove them. MLI’s Canine Ambassador, Rico, will be introduced with brief information about his work in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The presentation ends with ways for people to act if they would like as well as a live demonstration of Rico’s sniffing skills.
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Introduction to the Marshall Legacy Institute
Appropriate for 2nd grade and older
Learn about the humanitarian work of the Marshall Legacy Institute, where they work, and the impact of their work. Through this presentation, information about CHAMPS and K9 Ambassador, Rico, will be shared. Following the presentation, Rico will conduct a live demonstration of his sniffing skills.
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Landmine Facts and Efforts to Rid the World of Them
Appropriate for 4th grade and older
Basic information about landmines, including geography, economics of landmines, and impact on the communities impacted by landmines. There is also a focus on the work being done to remove landmines and educate all community members to be safe in areas contaminated by landmines. The presentation includes a live demonstration of Rico’s sniffing skills.
Puppy to Hero
Appropriate for all ages
The story of how Rico went from a puppy to training to becoming a hero to retirement and his new career as a K9 ambassador for The Marshall Legacy Institute. During the presentation, participants learn about the different types of service dogs before watching a live demonstration of Rico sniffing out his training device.
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Bosnia and Herzegovina
Appropriate for 2nd grade and older
Participants learn all about Bosnia, including the geography, landmine issue, Rico’s work there, the culture of the country, and the work still being done to make Bosnia a mine-free country. The presentation includes a live demonstration of Rico’s sniffing skills.
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Landmine Survivors
Appropriate for 6th grade and older
The focus of this presentation is to compare the landmine situation in Yemen and Bosnia. Survivor stories or resilience are shared during the presentation. The presentation includes a live demonstration of Rico’s sniffing skills.
The Geography of Landmines
Appropriate for 4th grade and older
The Geography of Landmines provides information about the countries MLI works with through their Mine Detection Dog Program, Educational Programs, and Survivor Assistance programs. Basic information about the country (where it is located, flag, and cultural pictures) is shared in this presentation. Following the presentation, Rico will demonstrate his sniffing skills.
The Science of Sniffing
Appropriate for 3rd grade and older
Through this presentation, participants will learn about the differences between human noses and dog noses and how dogs can sniff our specific scents and even illness and changes in humans. The presentation then focuses on Rico’s training and his work sniffing out landmines in Bosnia and Herzegovina before becoming the K9 Ambassador for MLI. Following the presentation, Rico will demonstrate his sniffing skills.
