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Kahne and Westheimer ~reflection

Reading this article about service learning within schools was perfect timing.  Today I visited my field placement, Stadium Elementary, and they had a special morning.  Each grade had an organization of their choice which they donated items/money to.  Some including Crossroads RI, the VA Hospital and an animal shelter.  My first grade class had Crossroads.  For the last few months, they collected items such as shampoo, toothpaste, diapers and much more.  This morning, a representative from each of the many organizations came to the school to receive the donations, thank the students/teachers and explain more about what they do.  It was humbling to see the excitement on the children's faces about their success and help.  They were all so eager and had tons of questions for the organizations.  The kids really wanted to help more, one child even said, "when I get older I want to build a movie theatre at Crossroads so all of the families can watch shows together".  It absolutely warmed my heart.  This was an eye-opening experience to see how small actions make big differences.  I believe that every school should partake in service learning, not just Feinstein Schools.  Instilling the aspect of help and community service is important for the youth.  The ability for them to recognize that people are suffering and that their small contributions can be life changing. This is a great educational opportunity for teachers to broaden the children's minds as well.  As the article mentioned, this encourages commitment and community appreciation.  I could already tell that the students felt a sense of accomplishment and wanted to donate more which is awesome! 






https://www.crossroadsri.org/

https://www.providence.va.gov/


Comments

  1. Lauren ZanfardinoMarch 23, 2019 at 6:46 PM

    That's so cool that you were able to witness this during your placement. It is such a good feeling seeing young children involved in this type of work.

    ReplyDelete
  2. CeliaMarch 24, 2019 at 2:26 PM

    I agree that every school should have some form of volunteerism and helping one's community. It's so important for young people to realize how much they can help.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Dion DMarch 24, 2019 at 7:45 PM

    It is inspiring to read about someone who got so much out of their service learning project!

    ReplyDelete
  4. JackieMarch 25, 2019 at 6:44 AM

    I love seeing children get excited about helping others! Teaching kids that they can make an impact even at a young age is important.

    ReplyDelete
  5. AnonymousApril 28, 2019 at 8:28 AM

    It's great that your first graders are going out and doing this for another community!

    ReplyDelete

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