Self-Esteem, Community Service and Empowerment – Part 2 of 2
In Part 1 of this article, I presented the rationale and keys to success in creating a school community service program. As indicated, organizing community service projects allows students to participate in the group process of cooperative learning, conflict resolution, critical thinking, and problem solving. Students improve their self-esteem through experience. Consequently, self-esteem becomes earned esteem. Part 2 is a description of the two components of a successful community service program.
Two Components of a Successful Community Service Program
o A component of the program could be integrated into the school day. Examples of successful community service projects integrated into the school day are trips to a soup kitchen, working with a preschool daycare program, and collecting for causes in need. These could be scheduled monthly by teams or groups of classrooms.
o There could also be an extracurricular component to the program that would involve a weekly commitment by students for a specified number of months.
The members who join the after school program would be divided into several groups. Individual groups would have brainstorming sessions on community service project selections that would allow students to practice interpersonal skills and build relationships.
1. Service project ideas are limitless and depend on the creativity and interests of the groups.
2. Each group designs its own one-year program and organization experience provides learning involving decision-making skills, communication skills, and the process of working within a system.
3. Each group creates their own name and selects four to six community service projects to be completed during the school year after school.
4. Group names chosen would reflect the community service mission of individual groups and may be an acronym. The following are examples of real names used by high school students:
o PRO (Persons in contact)
o SUNSHINE (United Nations Students)
o CARS (Caring and Respectful Students)
o SMILE (Students who make people laugh every day)
o HOPSCOTCH (Helping other people simply because our touch can heal)
Develop partnerships with the community. In my personal situation, we developed an ongoing working relationship with a nursing home, adult mental health center, day care center, preschool program, community pediatric health center, and soup kitchen.
The lesson of responsible active citizenship is the intention of all community service projects experiences and ideas to create change becomes the principle of active citizenship. Let your students be your heroes. Your young student activists can make a difference in our world. I share this as a proud teacher who has observed dedicated young people who are remarkable role models to their peers, their teachers, their families, and their community.