“How can I be useful, of what service can I be? There is something inside me, what can it be?" –Vincent Van Gogh
April 15-17, 2011 is Global Youth Service Day. What is GYSD? "Global Youth Service Day is an annual campaign that celebrates and mobilizes the millions of children and youth who improve their communities each day of the year through service and service-learning." Check out www.gysd.com for more information.
April may seem like the distant future for some, but it's never too early to start planning your own events for this time. In fact, you don’t have to wait until April to start your own service projects within your community. The holiday season is fast approaching, and with that are the constant reminders about those less fortunate that need help. Why not get your kids together and come up with a project to help those in need? It doesn’t have to be elaborate, but it’s important to instill in our children the importance of providing a service to others.
A push in the education world is Service Learning. Service Learning is a method of teaching in which students apply their academic skills and knowledge to address real needs in their own communities. Students solve real world problems and apply classroom learning in a real context. Through these learning opportunities, students provide valuable services to schools and communities. Service projects can easily be turned into Service Learning opportunities in your home or classroom.
Here are a few examples of Service Projects turned into Service Learning:
• Recycling - Have children research how many pounds of paper equals one tree. Collect paper and weigh it. Children can chart or graph the results (Math). You can make a tree and add a new leaf each time you recycle enough for one tree. Visual representations and reflections are important in every service learning process.
• Canned Food Drive - This is the time of year when food drives really get going, so take your collection to a new level. Contact someone from your local food pantry and find out what their needs are. They can come and give a presentation to your class, or you can take your own children and visit them. Food can be grouped and sorted into the food pyramid (Health/Science), weighed and/or graphed (Math). Students are also learning about socio-economics without even realizing it.
These are two projects most schools do already. Why not add a learning component and really make it meaningful to the kids?
The most important thing is to give children an outlet for providing service. We want them to be self-motivated and learn how to initiate projects on their own. If we provide these opportunities now, children will be more likely to find ways to serve as an adult. Remember any project you choose to take on, whether it is large or small, is not only meaningful to whom you’re helping, but it’s also just as meaningful to you.
I am always inspired when working on a service project at school. The heart of a child is like that of no other. They truly give with all of their heart and the meaning is always pure. Seeing the face of a six year old light up when he pulls out 2 cans of green beans from his backpack to contribute to a Thanksgiving meal for someone is worth a million dollars. The child was able to contribute to the whole process; he chose a food, went shopping, and sorted his food into the vegetable stack. Why was he so excited about those green beans? Because it is his favorite vegetable and he wanted someone else to be able to enjoy it too.
One activity turned into a meaningful lesson. Real life, real learning, real service, priceless.
"Life becomes harder for us when we live for others, but it also becomes richer and happier." –Albert Schweitzer
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