BACKGROUND INFO / GUIDELINES FOR COMMUNITY SERVICE PROJECTS

AT THORNHILL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

• Community service is a school-based service-learning opportunity• Opportunity to bring positive change to another person• Facilitates creation of a stronger & more healthful community• Cultivates students’ communication, organizational, business

planning, goal-setting, estimating, math, marketing, and cooperative skills…plus it promotes team spirit in a diverse community

• Discovery that every child can effectively improve a community• Helping another person in need is very empowering• Self-empowerment leads to increased self-esteem, greater

appreciation of resources and skills, and greater capacity for generosity … on a global scale

• The research and planning and interviewing required to help a specific group of people leads to increased tolerance, empathy, compassion, and understanding of others

• Service-learning curriculum facilitates creation and implementation of leadership skills

• Intelligent, compassionate, resourceful, and tolerant children have greater academic and life experience success

• Effective philanthropy involves a community partnership…the need and its solution must be determined by both parties; it cannot be “assigned” by the giver. Nor should it be “out of sight, out of mind”. A need is 24/7

• Faced with the “need”, students can engage in practical problem-solving by working in a cooperative manner

• The realization that every child can make a difference improves the way a child feels about her/himself

• Direct feedback from the community drives new community service efforts and shows that youth are valued and respected

• If student relationships are built with adults in the community, it makes a difference in the way adults perceive students and the way students perceive adults

• Curriculum needs to incorporate opportunities for student reflection into the service-learning activity…”What did you do?” “What did you feel?” “What did you learn about others?...about yourself?” “What do you do next?” “Why give to others?”

• Explore the following concepts and quotes: “No man is an island unto himself”, “United we stand, divided we fall”, “It takes a whole village to raise a child”, "It is one of the most beautiful compensations of this life that no man can sincerely try to help another without helping himself", "We must be the change we wish to see in the world", "An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind", “If we are to teach real peace in this world, and if we are to carry on a real war against war, we shall have to begin with the children”, "Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter", "A chain is only as strong as its weakest link" , We are a global community, and The whole is more than the mere sum of its parts.

• Research and discuss the root causes of hunger and poverty• Roles in community service projects : • Explore & Choose an Organization – (Alameda Food Bank, East

Bay Agency for Children, Fruitvale Elementary School, The Heifer Project International http://www.readtofeed.com/for_teachers_leaders_and_parents/ …)

• Research and interview community/charitable organization to determine a specific need (hunger, discomfort, fear, cold, lack of books/toys, etc)

• Research and list students’ resources available to fill a need (nonperishable foods, clothing, coats, socks, blankets, books, toys, stuffed animals, $$$, etc)

• Set goals & math estimating (how much needs to be collected & by when, incentives /rewards?)

• Educate others about the need and facilitate their participation • List benefits to all involved • Figure out the logistics (Planning) (what’s to be collected and

where, over what time frame, in what kind of container, restrict types & condition of donations, how to transport the donation, etc)

• Marketing: making and distributing flyers, making posters, advertisements (local paper, school newsletter, craigslist, etc)

• “Sales” – seek out a local business sponsor… bookstore, coffeeshop…

• Fundraising: If raising money for donation – what are some ideas for projects?...make & sell art/cookbooks/calendars etc, have a school rummage sale, car wash, movie night, group kid-sitting so parents can go out night, bake sale, etc.