Civics at Kelly Middle School
A teacher at Kelly Middle School in Eugene, Oregon set up an elective class four years ago that deserves replication in every school.
Its a class intended to teach young students about responsibility and engagement with the community. Students take on a variety of projects such as clean up outside around the school. They have a garden at school and donate fruit and veggies to a homeless mission. Some students go next door to an elementary school to help younger kids with assignments and as helpers to those teachers.
The teacher reached out to our neighborhood's neighborhood association [NA]. Two members of the NA board met with the teacher and another faculty member to discuss ideas about connecting the students to activities in the neighborhood. There are volunteer opportunities in the neighborhood such as work on public property to enhance habitat and maintain a filbert tree grove on public property. The NA is planning a community event to activate more food production in the neighborhood that the class could help with.
This is just the beginning of what could be a wonderful and productive relationship between the school and neighborhood association to help these young students the value, enjoyment and satisfaction of community service.
A teacher at Kelly Middle School in Eugene, Oregon set up an elective class four years ago that deserves replication in every school.
Its a class intended to teach young students about responsibility and engagement with the community. Students take on a variety of projects such as clean up outside around the school. They have a garden at school and donate fruit and veggies to a homeless mission. Some students go next door to an elementary school to help younger kids with assignments and as helpers to those teachers.
The teacher reached out to our neighborhood's neighborhood association [NA]. Two members of the NA board met with the teacher and another faculty member to discuss ideas about connecting the students to activities in the neighborhood. There are volunteer opportunities in the neighborhood such as work on public property to enhance habitat and maintain a filbert tree grove on public property. The NA is planning a community event to activate more food production in the neighborhood that the class could help with.
This is just the beginning of what could be a wonderful and productive relationship between the school and neighborhood association to help these young students the value, enjoyment and satisfaction of community service.