UNICEF: A School Service Learning Project

Imagine our young students’ surprise when they sat down to watch a video at an assembly, but instead of a story or cartoon they saw children struggling and living very different lives than their own. This was the start of a service learning/global citizenship project for all 1st through 5th graders at TDS. The 21st Century Thinkers course—an enrichment class taught by Tim Smith, our Technology Instructor—chose UNICEF as their first project.

For this particular project, the school wide service goal was to increase awareness of the need for UNICEF. The students planned and executed an in-house fundraiser and designed an educational component for the 1st through 5th grade students.

During small group presentations (the education component), the 21st Century Thinkers taught the younger students the difference between a want and a need. As you walk around the school, you see the outcome of the student-planned awareness campaign: decorated donation boxes and posters about UNICEF. In addition, a dress-down day fundraiser for all students was held before the kick-off of the trick or treat for UNICEF event on Halloween.

Even though you’ll see witches, goblins, and a princess or two on Halloween, each TDS child will also be a global citizen of the world. And the only costume needed for that is human caring!