This category includes promoting healthy living styles as well as providing assistance to those who are ill. These projects can range from helping special education students learn about hygiene to writing letters for donations to businesses to aid a local charity that helps kids with chronic illnesses.
Projects are listed alphabetically by title.
Primary Subjects: Health, English
Maryland Curriculum Indicators for: Health, English
Level of Service: Advocacy
Project Description: On Friday, June 14th, 2002 Baltimore City Career Academy Diploma Plus Students hosted "AIDS: A Day, A Difference," an AIDS education and awareness event. Seven students were responsible for organizing a day that included dramatic skits, presentations, dialogues and informational games about how AIDS affects our communities. The entire Career Academy population, community advocates, other invited youth groups and employees of the Mayor's Office of Employment Development attended the event. See www.oedworks.com.
Primary Subjects: Health, English, Technology Education, Physical Education, Music
Maryland Curriculum Indicators for: Health, English, Technology Education, Physical Education, Music
Level of Service: Indirect
Project Description: Our project was to promote a charity basketball game to benefit the Jimmy V Foundation for Cancer Research. The Battle for the Bell began as an idea for a pickup basketball game between the faculties of Franklin Middle School and Franklin High School to promote and foster a closer relationship between the two schools. Once we brought the Jimmy V Foundation into the picture, the game took on a much deeper meaning and became a fight to raise awareness and donate money to cancer research.
Primary Subjects: English
Maryland Curriculum Indicators for: English, Art, Math
Level of Service: Indirect, Advocacy
Project Description: Many families are overwhelmed by the emotional and financial stresses of having a child with a critical illness. During this project students will complete activities to benefit these families such as creating hard cover books and related board games to hand out to sick children, and collecting items needed by the organization for families. Another component could be to make birthday bags/fun kits for the siblings of the ill children to help make them feel special.
Primary Subjects: English
Maryland Curriculum Indicators for: English
Level of Service: Indirect, Advocacy
Project Description: Perry Hall Middle School students in conjunction with their Language Arts Non-Fiction Unit read, analyzed, and evaluated newspaper articles, websites, and news footage surrounding the Casey Cares Foundation and the fire that wiped out their offices and warehouse earlier in the summer. After contacting Casey Cares to find out how they could help, the students began learning about tone and persuasive letter writing. Students created persuasive letters that were sent to pizza places all over the state asking for gift certificates to help Casey Cares rebuild their Pizza and Movie Night program. The project culminated in a breakfast where the gift certificates were passed from the students to Casey Cares.
Primary Subjects: Technology Education
Maryland Curriculum Indicators for: Technology Education
Level of Service: Indirect
Project Description: Technology students created custom-made, one-of-a-kind T-shirts for ventilator patients at Western Maryland Hospital Center. T-shirts were designed with the hobbies and preferences of individual patients in mind. Students used computer programs to design T-shirt transfers, used equipment to apply the transfers, and wrapped and tagged the shirts so that they could be delivered as gifts to the patients.
Primary Subjects: English, Math, Technology Education, Physical Education
Maryland Curriculum Indicators for: English, Math, Technology Education, Physical Education
Level of Service: Indirect, Advocacy
Project Description: Our Student Court Class performed two projects at one time to benefit the Children’s Hospital in Washington, D.C. The first project was a mini walk-a-thon. During class time each day, we walked six laps around the track and raised more than $950 in our five days of walking. The second project was an entertainment drive in which we collected 782 new and used VHS tapes, DVDs, and CDs.
GERM – Creating A Healthy Environment by MSDE. Created for elementary and middle school.
Primary Subjects: Health
Maryland Curriculum Indicators for: Health
Level of Service: Direct, Indirect, Advocacy
Project Description: According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 22 million school days are lost annually due to the common cold alone. (CDC, 1996) This situation can be mitigated through the teaching and application of hygienic practices. This unit will help students understand the importance of hygienic practices, and increase awareness of how germs are transmitted. This knowledge will be used to engage in various service-learning projects to reduce the spread of germs and promote better health.
Healthy Me, Healthy You by MSDE. Created for middle school.
Primary Subjects: Health
Maryland Curriculum Indicators for: Health
Level of Service: Direct, Indirect
Project Description: As students study hygiene and homelessness, students will learn the importance of personal hygiene, a daily living skill. In addition to learning this daily living skill, the students will learn how to purchase and collect hygiene items to donate to a local homeless shelter.
Helping Critically Ill Children by MSDE. Created for middle and high school.
Primary Subjects: English
Maryland Curriculum Indicators for: English
Level of Service: Direct, Indirect, Advocacy
Project Description: Many families are overwhelmed by the emotional and financial stress of having a critically ill child. Students will complete activities to benefit these families such as creating hard cover books and related board games to give to critically ill children, and collecting items needed by the organization for their families. Another activity is making birthday bags/fun kits for the siblings of these children to help make them feel special.
Primary Subjects: English, Technology Education, Art
Maryland Curriculum Indicators for: English, Technology Education, Art, Math
Level of Service: Indirect
Project Description: This interdisciplinary unit deals with uplifting students who are living with difficult circumstances whether through illness or abuse. Depending upon the need, this could be a school-wide effort. Students assess the needs of two particular organizations and develop two ideas that promote literacy and creativity.
Primary Subjects: Social Studies, Science, Math
Maryland Curriculum Indicators for: Social Studies, Science, Math
Level of Service: Indirect
Project Description: The entire 7th grade at Smithsburg Middle School (232 students) took on and completed a very energetic service-learning project. They completed a 6K walk-a-thon at Antietam National Battlefied to raise money for the John R. Marsh Cancer Center in Washington County Maryland. It was not just a walk-a-thon though. The students took ownership of the project from beginning to end, and that is what made it so unique! On a beautiful October day we completed our walk and in November the students presented a check for over $2,500.00 to the cancer center.
Kids Helping Hopkins by Linda Caron in Frederick County. Created for middle school. Fellows project.
Primary Subjects: Math, Social Studies, English
Maryland Curriculum Indicators for: Math, Social Studies, English
Level of Service: Indirect
Project Description: Schools partnering with Johns Hopkins decide what type of project they want to do. Our school decided to do a fundraiser for the Children’s Center and to create kits for children so they could have something fun to do in the hospital. Any extra money was given as a donation to the center. Our school ended up raising approximately $7,000.00. With the money we purchased supplies and made at least 1,000 kits and then we gave the Center a check for $5,000.00 to spend how they saw fit to enhance the services that the Center provides.
Primary Subjects: English
Maryland Curriculum Indicators for: Art, Health, Math, Science
Level of Service: Indirect
Project Description: Kids Helping Hopkins is a local educational program sponsored by many area schools throughout Maryland to support Johns Hopkins Children’s Center. This service-learning project will combine persuasive writing in English and a variety of projects in art class to benefit this organization. This can be used in any grade level, but it has been written for high school students in the 9th -12th grades.
Primary Subjects: English
Maryland Curriculum Indicators for: English
Level of Service: Indirect
Project Description: Our community has a high incidence of smoking and cancer. This project addressed causes of cancer and educated students on the dangers of adopting a lifestyle involving those causes. We also met the needs of Johns Hopkins Pediatric Oncology Unit which was in need of activities for the older children who received treatment.
Kids Sew for Kids by Ava Mendelson in Montgomery County. Created for middle school. Model Program.
Primary Subjects: Family and Consumer Sciences
Maryland Curriculum Indicators for: Family and Consumer Sciences
Level of Service: Indirect
Project Description: Kids Sew for Kids is a service-learning project that is infused into a Family and Consumer Sciences (FACS) eighth grade program that incorporates sewing skills. Students develop sewing skills as part of the curriculum and then use their skills to complete service projects. Students survey the community, sew various items for people who are sick or children in need in the area, and reflect upon their work. Projects include clothing, stuffed animals, beanie babies, and drawstring bags to mention just a few.
Primary Subjects: Health, Math
Maryland Curriculum Indicators for: Health, Math
Level of Service: Indirect
Project Description: Lockerman Middle School annually participates in a Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Walk-A-Thon to raise money for the MS Society.
Primary Subjects: Health
Maryland Curriculum Indicators for: Health
Level of Service: Direct, Indirect
Project Description: As students learn about the relationship between nutrition and health/fitness, they will select a homeless shelter, soup kitchen, etc., and develop a plan of action to meet the nutritional needs of the various age groups served by the selected organization.
Patience with Patients by MSDE. Created for middle and high school (Alt-HSA).
Primary Subjects: Health, Life Skills
Maryland curriculum Indicators for: Health, Life Skills
Level of Service: Direct, Indirect
Project Description: “Patience with Patients” teams the special and general education students together to provide activity baskets that are intended to lift the spirits of people in the community (any age) as they go through various medical procedures. In this project, the students will create baskets with an assortment of items including snacks, books, magazines, crafts, activities, fidgets, etc., which help distract the patient and fill the time needed to complete the medical procedure.
Pennies for Pasta by Mary Keene in Baltimore County. Created for middle school. Fellows project.
Primary Subjects: Health, Math
Maryland Curriculum Indicators for: Health, Math
Level of Service: Indirect
Project Description: The entire school raised money for Leukemia in partnership with the Olive Garden and the Leukemia Society. Each homeroom had a representative that collected and counted. The community was encouraged to donate also, and students were asked to try to earn money for the collection in some manner. The collection took place over two weeks. Students raised over $7,000.00.
Powerlines Projects (alcohol) by Talbot County Public Schools. Created for middle school.
Primary Subjects: Health Education
Maryland Curriculum Indicators for: Health
Level of Service: Direct, Indirect, or Advocacy
Project Description: Talbot County Public Schools uses the Project Northland Curriculum Series
to teach about the consequences of alcohol and its use. The series consists of three parts, one for each grade level. In eighth grade the series is titled “Powerlines” and consists of a total of 8 lessons. Four of the lessons are taught previous to the beginning of the service-learning project begins on day five. Days 5-8 are dedicated to the introduction of the project, completion of project, and project presentation. Both Easton Middle School and St. Michaels Middle/High School have the complete series and use the binder, and the lessons and resources contained within, to implement the “Powerlines” program in their schools.
Project Linus by Margaret Buckler in Carroll County. Created for middle school. Sherry Unger winner.
Primary Subjects: Family and Consumer Sciences
Maryland Curriculum Indicators for: Family and Consumer Sciences
Level of Service: Indirect
Project Description: In 8th grade Family and Consumer Science, we create a rag blanket. Students sew squares of fabric and batting together. These panels are then sewn together and fringed to create the blanket. The finished blanket is donated to Carroll County Project Linus.
Primary Subjects: Family and Consumer Science
Maryland Curriculum Indicators for: Family and Consumer Science
Level of Service: Indirect
Project Description: Students in a Family Consumer Science class created quilts to be sold as part of a fundraising activity for a local hospice.
Primary Subjects: English
Maryland Curriculum Indicators for: English
Level of Service: Indirect
Project Description: To increase my students’ awareness of other children and develop their leadership skills, a collection of items for the John Hopkins Hospital Pediatric Unit was conducted. Students created games, wrote story books, designed coloring books, and purchased supplies needed to entertain the young patients.
Reducing Heroin Use & Overdoses by MSDE.
Primary Subjects: Health
Maryland Curriculum Indicators for: Health
Level of Service: Indirect, Direct, or Advocacy
Project Description: Students will develop and implement a service-learning experience around the issue of substance abuse, heroin use, addiction treatment, and how to reduce deaths caused from heroin overdoses.
Primary Subjects: English, Math, Technology Education
Maryland Curriculum Indicators for: English, Math, Technology Education
Level of Service: Indirect
Project Description: In 2003-04, I created a web quest on the internet and students researched different organizations. After all of the research, my students decided that the Talbot County United Fund was the organization that they wanted to work with. As a class, we chose this particular agency because they helped a variety of organizations in Talbot County. One organization supported by the Talbot County United Way was the St. Michael’s Community Center. A lot of my students spent many hours at the community center receiving help with homework and they realized how important this service was. The students decided to raise money to support this important community program. At the 6th grade graduation ceremony, we presented the Talbot County United Fund with a check for more than $600. As the conclusion of the project, we thought of ways to expand this project for the future.
Primary Subjects: Foreign Language
Maryland Curriculum Indicators for: Foreign Language
Level of Service: Indirect
Project Description: 7th & 8th grade students are taking world cultures and foreign language classes. The Salvadoran co-director of the Central American Relief Project (CARP), Francis Batarse, was visiting from El Salvador and came to speak to our students about his country’s history and culture, as well as the children at the Benjamin Bloom Children’s Hospital who are affected by kidney disease. He and the American co-director, Ginger Powers, who also served as his translator, shared this information with an accompanying slideshow.
Primary Subjects: Family and Consumer Sciences
Maryland Curriculum Indicators for: Family and Consumer Sciences
Level of Service: Indirect
Project Description: Family and Consumer Sciences students created hundreds of hand made stuffed bears for the young patients in the Peninsula Regional Medical Center’s Emergency Department. Students acquired and used skills in computer graphing, public relations, child development, textile manufacturing technology, business management and teamwork to create a product that brought comfort to many ill and injured children.
Primary Subjects: Health
Maryland Curriculum Indicators for: Health
Level of Service: Direct
Project Description: This project is a traveling puppet show, performed by high school students, that communicates the health dangers of smoking with elementary and middle school students. The message focuses on the “expensive habit” of smoking. Puppets identify tobacco health risks, including physical, emotional, and social issues. The project is interactive and engages audiences of all ages.
Primary Subjects: English
Maryland Curriculum Indicators for: English, Health
Level of Service: Indirect
Project Description: Students read several informative articles and watched United Streaming clips to develop a better understanding of cancer and then completed activities which support Frederick County Public Schools (FCPS) Curriculum using the information they learned. A fellow teacher spoke about leukemia from which her daughter suffers to broaden student understanding of the broad variety of types of cancer. Students collected donations to be shared between a local support group for victims of cancer and to help develop a support group in the town where my mother, an ovarian cancer patient, lives.
Primary Subjects: Character Education
Maryland Curriculum Indicators for: Character Education
Level of Service: Indirect
Project Description: My service-learning club planned a yard sale at the school to raise money for the Walk for the Cure for Diabetes. More than 30 students, mostly sixth and eighth graders, volunteered. Two weeks later we then went downtown and participated in the walk and donated over $2000.00. More than 20 students and parents participated in the walk.
Worry Dolls by Kelley Fujii and Candace Desonier in Frederick County. Created for middle school. Sherry Unger winner.
Primary Subjects: English
Maryland Curriculum Indicators for: English
Level of Service: Indirect
Project Description: The worry doll project served to introduce the theme of determination to 7th grade language arts students. After learning about Guatemalan culture, the determination of indigenous people, and the Mayan worry doll legend, students were invited to make a worry doll in the tradition of the Guatemalan people. For reflection, students wrote poems explaining the Worry Dolls to their recipients, children in hospitals, where they would later be donated. As the legend goes, the children might then be free of worries as they cast their worries onto their own special worry doll.
Primary Subjects: Family and Consumer Sciences
Maryland Curriculum Indicators for: Family and Consumer Sciences
Level of Service: Indirect
Project Description: Project Linus accepts new, handmade, washable blankets to distribute to hospitals, shelters, etc. to give to children who are seriously ill or traumatized. Comfort is provided to the child and his/her family knowing that strangers care enough to make a blanket - plus the blanket is a little "security" for the child in a difficult time. The NCHS Project Linus Club met weekly after school so those students could learn skills to make blankets to donate to the county organization. They also secured the school cafeteria and organized and planned a community sewing event on Oct. 28, 2001 (National Make A Difference Day). Over 70 people gathered to work together making blankets or accepting donations. By the end of the project, 372 blankets were made and donated!
Contact:
Lauren McKinley, M.Ed.
Service-Learning Specialist, Youth Development Branch
Office: (410) 767-0357
lauren.mckinley@maryland.gov
Reginald Burke, M.S.
Director, Youth Development Branch
Office: (410) 767-0313
reginald.burke@maryland.gov