Winter formal, prom, graduation.

They're only a few of the highlights of a high school experience and Canyon High senior Penny Lopez wants to make sure all of her classmates have the opportunity to partake.

Since September, the 17-year-old and about 25 of her friends and classmates have been fundraising for and promoting their new club, Helping Our Teens.

The goal is to raise enough money for Canyon's low-income and homeless students to purchase everything from prom tickets to school supplies.

"They've done so much to come up with a solution in such a short amount of time," said Ashley Jones, club adviser and Canyon High School English teacher.

Lopez was inspired to start the club after she read a story in The Signal about the increased number of homeless students attending William S. Hart Union High School District schools.

The Hart district counted more than 850 homeless students in grades seven through 12 in the 2008-09 school year. The year before, 675 students were served.

"I think that some schools are more hard hit in our valley," Jones said.

Lopez said she started talking to her friends about forming a club.

"That really caught my attention," senior and club secretary Joanna Mateo said about the number of homeless students. "That could be me."

Mateo soon jumped on board with Lopez's plan to start the club.

"If I was in their shoes, I would want someone to help me," she said.

Because the names of low-income and homeless students are kept confidential, the club gives all of its funding to the Canyon High School administration, who then works with students in need to provide them with the supplies they need, Lopez said.

The 2-month-old club is now in the fundraising stages and club leaders hope to be able to partner with other clubs on campus for clothing drives and events.

A fundraiser last week generated $200, a figure that impressed Lopez and her classmates.

The club hopes to serve not only homeless students, but students who have been impacted by the recession.

"Even though we live in an affluent community, the cost of living is quite high," Jones said.

Jones has watched her students develop an interest in helping others.

"They're really empathetic and they care about the students that are sitting next to them," she said.

Many of the club members have spent the last four years together as friends and classmates, which Jones said has created a family atmosphere.

"It's very rare that you see something like this," she said.

The students hope to watch their club grow.

Mateo said: "I really hope we can get a lot of people to join and make this a big thing."