Service Learning
Service as a Core Value
Service to the world of humanity is one of the core values of Mona Foundation. Service ennobles both the giver and the receiver: the giver for having assumed their birth right to take responsibility for the betterment of the world, the receiver for knowing that someone cares and everyone matters. To foster the spirit of service in children at an early age and as a way of life quenches their thirst in search of meaning. It gives purpose to their lives as they find that their every act of kindness does in fact make a difference in someone's life. It grows their latent potential as they train their minds and hone their skills in the field of service as the empowered agents of change in the development of their own communities. It redeems them as they find their rightful place in our world, and make their own mark.
topProven International Projects
Change to Change a Woman's Life
Key Question: Can high school women in Kimberly, Idaho, make a difference in the education of a young woman in an impoverished country by raising money for tuition?
Overview: By arranging for an area-wide conference of ten high schools, and exciting many of the leaders of those schools to participate in their own schools, the organizers were able to successfully raise scholarship money for a girl to attend school in Tanzania. The organizers were able to get T-shirts donated with “Change to Change” a Woman's life printed on them, sell tote bags, and set out “Change to Change” bottles near the school vending machines to collect the sought funds. The entire project from organization, finding a site for the conference, set-up, clean-up, agenda for the day of inspiration to help a cause greater than themselves, was arranged by the girls themselves. They were empowered by their own abilities and someone miles away will be affected for a lifetime because they cared. A resounding success! Project was done by Jan Hall, Kimberly High School, Kimberly, Idaho
Playground Improvements
Key Question: How can students with so many toys and school supplies here in America share with students in a poor country like Haiti?
Overview: In an effort to share what they have in abundance, this Brush Prairie, WA, class decided to use their allowances for school supplies and playground equipment for a school in Haiti. They donated money from their allowances and bought things themselves. Several parents helped by contributing to the high fees for postage on the seven boxes collected. The boxes contained many toys, jump ropes, Frisbees and balls for the playground too. Students loved packing and sending messages with the toys. Project was done by Judy Person, Hockinson Public Schools, Brush Prairie, WA, Grade 5
Making Stationery for a Roof?
Key Question: How can students in Deming, Washington, help students in the jungle of Panama to put a roof on their school?
Overview: In their study of Panama, sixth grade students discovered a community in the remote jungle of Panama with little access to education. Their village school consisted of two rooms, one without even a roof! So they set out designing, packaging, and selling stationery. They also made dog biscuits at school to sell and support their local animal shelter. In this way this service oriented class was able to serve their local community as well as the world community. They raised over $1000 for the school roof alone, and were instrumental in getting it completed! Project was done by Judy Davis, Kendall Elementary School, Deming,WA, Grade 6
Books for Africa: Changing Communities
Key Question: How can the ‘book famine’ in Africa be ended?
Overview: Several University of Washington students accepted part of this responsibility for their world community last year by raising money to send thousands of books collected during one school year to Africa. Linking their efforts to the Mona Foundation in late May, these determined volunteers found support in many areas to extend their original goal of 25,000 books to 75,000 by the time the shipment deadline was eminent. They collaborated with publishers, schools, libraries and many individuals. Volunteers collected the donated books, sorted and prepared them for shipping. Books unsuitable for Africa were sold to help pay for shipping costs. The volunteers then paid their own way to insure delivery to the rural schools and helped set up the libraries. An ambitious project but highly successful and will be sustained again this year with the former participants training a new crew of excited volunteers. Project was done by Anisa Ghadrshenas and Sarah Kaufmann-Fink, University of Washington, Seniors
Never too Young
Key Question: At what age can service projects be implemented?
Overview: Preschool children in Mukilteo Montessori School in Mukilteo, Washington, integrated their study of the continents with learning to share with others who have less. Through the Mona Foundation the children learned about the Tierra Santa Home for Abandoned Children in Honduras and they wanted to do something to help. Parents got involved by collecting used summer clothing, toys, shoes and toiletries which totaled 17 full boxes! The children also drew pictures for the Honduras children to get involved personally . This successful project has been done three years in a row. By being involved in this service project, these caring children are learning empathy for others who are far less fortunate than they are. Project was done by Margie Maher-Mukilteo Montessori School, Mukilteo, WA
Pay-It-Forward
Key Question: What can one seventh grade girl do to help with literacy in Africa?
Overview: As part of its curriculum, Seattle Girl's School has a “Pay It Forward” culminating event each year. Each student is encouraged to showcase something that they're passionate about, something where they can and have made a difference. Student Lisa Been chose to work with Mona's Books for Africa team to help promote literacy and education, two things she feels strongly about. Joining Lisa were 25 friends, together reading over 30,000 minutes, raising funds through pledges to help with shipping costs for the Books for Africa 2005 collection. What a great idea! It is very simple yet meaningful, supportive and very necessary for the Africa project's success. Project was done by Lisa Been, Seattle Girl's School, Seattle, WA
Different from Volunteering
Service learning enhances and is integrated into the academic curriculum of students engaged in service. During the course of the project, students need to have structured time for thoughtful planning of the service project and guided reflection on their experiences.
Involving Your Class in Service Learning
Your students will:
- Gain self-confidence and a “can-do” attitude
- Make new friends
- Learn new skills, enhance existing ones
- Positively affect their local and world communities
- Share their hearts and knowledge
- Children will think about what they have to be thankful for
- Have fun and enjoy themselves!
How to Get Started
- Obtain approval from your principal and/or school board before starting
- Brainstorm possible projects with your class
- Insure that students are truly energized about the project
- Think of creative ways to incorporate the project components into the existing curriculum
- Focus on one local community project and then later a world community project, thus expanding the world view of the students
- Ask students what they expect to get out of the project and as the long term project progresses, remind them of the goals of the exercise, and check with them about how they're feeling about it
- Make certain the project fills a definite need so the impact of the service can be seen
- Cover bases with the agencies involved first, before involving students
- If possible, visit the site of the service before taking students there, so you can plan adequately
- List any supplies or tools that will be needed and decided where you will get them
- Determine transportation needs
- Is there a place for the students to clean up, meet for reflection time, and eat if necessary?
- Be realistic with yourself and those who will be served about what can be accomplished during the project
- If the work is not finished, try to make arrangements to return
- Create a bulletin Board explaining the project to school, showing progress. This stimulates interest and ‘buy in’ by the other students, can protect the finish product from vandalism and creates excitement about the changes in the local school environment
Examples of Local Service Projects
Pre K-2
- Visit a nursing home with flowers and cards for a visit
- Do a litter clean up of the school grounds
- Collect used children's books for a homeless shelter
- Draw pictures for children in the hospital
- Take up a canned food collection for local agencies
- Bring in piggy bank money to send to schools in poor countries
- Collect used clothing and toiletries send them to an orphanage
Intermediate
- Create care packages for adults and children: toiletries or school items, and donate to a women's or homeless shelter
- Run a used clothing or hats-and-gloves drive and donate the items to a local agency
- Offer to paint a colorful mural or build a small garden space at a local agency supporting homeless children
- Work together to clean up a vacant lot in the neighborhood and replace it with garden space: See if a local nursery would donate plants in return for a plaque in the garden with their name on it
Middle School
- Organize a career day or "success" day to learn about the variety of career opportunities that students' parents or community leaders are involved in
- Have the class volunteer to work in a food pantry
- Weed and plant flowers in front of the school building
- Have the class "adopt" a group of students in a younger grade and do some of the service projects with that group or do other fun and educational activities with them such as reading or arts & crafts
- Clean up trash in the neighborhood or on the school grounds
High School
- Provide English as a Second Language support
- Serve as basic computer tutors for the elderly or others needing training
- Call a local International Center and see what needs the organization has that the class can help with
- Contact the local League of Women Voters or Board of Elections and ask how the class can help register people to vote
- Have your class identify an issue that they are learning more about or are reading about in the papers and have them arrange a school forum with local speakers, then the class can prepare their ideas on how to solve the problem and present it to local government or school officials
- Take on meal delivery services
Length of Time to Spend on Project
If there isn't time for an extended project, try to do a “one day” event
such as:
- Martin Luther King, Jr. Day – Jan. 15, 2007
- National Volunteer Week – April 24-28, 2007
- Join Hands Day – May 5, 2007
- Earth Day – April 21, 2007
- One Day's Pay – September 11, 2006
- Kids Care Week – October 16-20, 2006
- Make A Difference Day – October 28, 2006
Details for creating a project for one or more of these special days can be found online.
Reflection before, during, and after . . .
Reflection on student work is very important. The students should communicate with the agency they're working with, write a report on what they did and what they learned from the experience, thereby evaluating the project. What did they enjoy most? What would they do differently next time? How do they feel after completing the project? What other needs did they become aware of in doing the project? Would they like to do this again?
Each Service Learning Day could focus on a student-generated, teacher-led project, either local or world community oriented. Mona Foundation would be happy to coordinate an effort with one of our International or Local projects. 97% of all funds donated to Mona Foundation are donated directly to the projects themselves. A project could be simply an effort to raise money for a scholarship to send a deserving student to school in an impoverished area. (Only $50.00/month!) Or, challenge the school staff to each donate an amount toward a goal as “seed”money and students try to meet or exceed that set amount.
Habits of Heart
Mona Foundation representative Sima Mobini generously gave her time to present the Ngobe-Bugle story in a classroom visit to Tarzana Elementary School in Tarzana, CA. This has prompted the “Habit-of-Heart” service club to take action on their own to help a Mona Foundation project in Panama. Diego, a student, writes: “Our Habits of Heart Club is learning about farsightedness which means planning and looking ahead to help others in need. The school in Panama needs school supplies, donations and many other resources. Our Club is thinking about perhaps taking part in a walk-a-thon or read-a-thon to help raise money for the kids in Panama. One thing is for sure, just like we sent our artwork and cards to Changle School in China, we will be writing to the children at the Nogbe-Bugle school in Panama.”
Diego's teacher, Teresa Langness, continues the story: “As a result of his article, we are planning a field trip for the kids to engage in a walk-a-thon/read-a-thon on a mountain trail. They will first climb a mountain and then read a book and return. They will take pledges from family and friends which they will cash if they can complete the task in a certain amount of time. This will help the kids experience a little of what the Nobe-Bugle people go through routinely to get back and forth for supplies such as books.”
This is a new program that the Mona Foundation is bringing to schools in the USA to promote service learning. The idea comes from a California-based non-profit organization, Full-Circle Learning, which helps students worldwide embrace their role as society's helpers and healers. It does so through integrated educational projects that infuse character education, peacemaking, arts enrichment and service to humanity into academic projects. Each Full-Circle Learning site links the habits-of-heart studied with service learning field trips and guest presenters and communications with the community. Students go to local venues such as indigenous cultural sites, hospital oncology units, water treatment plants and senior care centers to visit adopted grandparents. Learning is especially linked to creative problem-solving that honors the knowledge of global partners worldwide. Through these partnerships, Full-Circle Learning projects have created bonds among students in more than a dozen countries and expanded their cultural sensitivity.
Full-Circle Learning is grateful to the Mona Foundation for its first collaboration and for the shared belief that communities have the gift and sacred duty to ensure that the children of each new generation play a meaningful role as members of the global human family--and understand that role as much more than an abstract concept. We will share the new developments as this new project expands with the Mona Foundation's efforts.