FAYETTEVILLE — Three charities will benefit from Holt Middle School students learning how to collaborate in a real-life project.
At A Glance
Seeds That Feed
Seeds That Feed was organized earlier this year in Fayetteville. The organization asks individuals to purchase extra produce from farmers markets or grocery stores, or to donate extra produce from their gardens to the program to battle food insecurity in Fayetteville. The program has collected and donated 15,000 pounds of food to food banks and churches, according to the students’ research.
Source: Staff Report, SeedsFeed.org
The seventh-graders this week adopted the American Red Cross, Habitat for Humanity and Seeds That Feed as class projects.
The selection process began several weeks ago when the students held a Charity Fair. Representatives of 17 nonprofit groups told students about the services and assistance they provide the community.
Students asked questions, took notes and went back to their classrooms to make a pitch for the charity of their choice. Working in groups, they wrote argumentative essays, developed action plans and made presentations to their classmates. At the end of the process, the students voted.
They will spend the next few weeks bringing the action plans to reality to raise money and awareness for their adopted charities.
Kacie Travis, a math teacher, said her students who supported the Red Cross were moved by the victims of Hurricane Sandy and that the Red Cross has a worldwide impact.
The Red Cross tied with Habitat for Humanity so Travis’ students decided to do both. The action plan for Habitat is to work with the local chapter to clean up or paint a house or to participate in a Habitat fundraiser.
Desks in Travis’ classroom were arranged in a large circle during what she called the “debation” on the different organizations. They coined the word “debation” as a cross between debate and discussion.
Mady Gray, 12, spoke passionately on behalf of Habitat for Humanity.
“We are all one community,” Mady said. “That is why it is good to help international programs as well as local charities.”
The students will organize an “Everything Drive” to gather toiletries for the Red Cross.
Students in Jan Paul’s class plan to pledge $5 each to raise $100. They will buy 70 pounds of food for Seeds That Feed and encourage other students to contribute.
One of her students plans to make a public service announcement to broadcast to the school, Paul said.
Other students spoke just as passionately about Olivia’s Basket, Cameron’s Amazing Book Club and the Kendrick Fincher Foundation. They made PowerPoint presentations, complete with photos, sound effects and background music. One group handed out bottles of water.
The students were actively engaged in the project, not really knowing that they were also learning concepts that are the underpinnings of the Common Core State Standards, such as collaboration and teamwork.
Penny Ezell, instructional facilitator, said the project was designed to help students better understand the nonprofit groups and how they can give back to their community.
“This project makes the learning more rigorous and relevant,” Ezell said.