Helping Hands
There is an outstanding article in the PTO magazine, January 2017. Article author Debbie Koenig says, “Working together on a community project is a surefire way to create a sense of togetherness within your school.”
I speak at schools throughout the country promoting understanding, diversity and friendship, I believe when students of all ages are involved in a community project, they are learning communication skills, team work, and they come to understand , respect and support everyone involved.
Debbie also says “it is best to look for a project that will allow students to learn a new skill or learn more about their community.”
Recently I had the opportunity to speak to an Optimist International Youth Conference.
Each individual club shared their projects they were involved in that were geared to improve their community. It didn’t matter where they lived, or their social and economic status, but what did matter was that each club was proud what they accomplished as a team and what they learned.
What I noticed that the members of all the clubs had a strong bond and close friendships. I observed students interacting and supporting each other. It didn’t matter if they were students with special needs or part of the National Honor’s Society, what did matter was how happy they were to have worked together to help with a beautification project, support of an outside charity events or help a local family in financial need.
If you are looking to improve your student interaction and promote understanding, diversity and friendship then I suggest a yearly helping hands school wide community project.
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