LEXINGTON, Ky. — A middle school student in Lexington has made a difference for her peers at Tates Creek Middle School. Eighth grader Rosie Katz raised over $1,000 for feminine hygiene products and two dispensers at her school’s bathrooms.

“I just noticed a lot of my classmates were always searching for them and they might be embarrassed to go to the nurse’s office or the community service center so I thought they should be in the bathrooms just like the toilet paper,” Katz said.

As part of an eighth-grade project, Katz made access to feminine hygiene products easier at her school.

“I started a GoFundMe, and we raised about $2,000 through it and we bought two machines that dispose the period products,” Katz said.

The yearlong project is part of Tates Creek’s International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme; giving students a sense of pride in working for and with others and building important skills like communication.

This week, Katz will present her project to the entire school, and next month will show it off to the Lexington community. But she’s already hearing how it’s changed her classmates’ lives.

“I’ve heard a lot of girls talk to their friends about it, and everyone is thankful for it. I’ve had like three girls come up to me and tell me it’s saved them,” Katz said.

Katz will move on to high school this fall.

“I started this in eighth grade, and I plan to continue it when I go to the high school,” Katz said.

The period products are free, and girls can take what they need for the day.

The International Baccalaureate Organization for the Middle Years Programme expects students to use what they’ve learned at Tates Creek Middle School and engage with their community to make it a better place.