Kids Recycle to help Habitat
Students in the Special Education Department of Ida Price Middle School
in San Jose participated in a Service Learning Project raising funds to benefit Habitat for
Humanity of Tuolumne County (HFHTC).
With the assistance of Resource Specialist and Special Education teacher Jan McNamara, her assistant Liz Stafford, and 6th grade teacher Joanne Grigori, forty-three students in three different classes organized a can and bottle recycling project to raise funds for HFHTC. Each Friday on their “weekly rounds” they picked up aluminum cans and bottles. After the collections were made, Bob McNamara (Jan McNamara’s husband) took all the bags to the local recycling plant to redeem for money which was kept in the school account.
They began the project with computer research and subsequently accessed the HFHTC web site. This allows them to check on the progress of the house by viewing the photos. The students also set up an ad campaign by making fliers and TV commercials for their school network.
The project is part of the students’ curriculum for language arts and affords the students some excellent learning opportunities. They have been experiencing such concepts as collaboration, working as a team and sustaining a project until completion. They are developing computer skills by writing, editing and printing documents, and have integrated the project into classroom discussions about what it means to belong to and support a community.
Teachers supported the project by keeping containers in their classrooms and in the teacher’s lounge. Students also brought bags full of recyclables from home and asked family and friends to contribute. Their goal was $800.
On April 18, 26 of the students and three teachers made a field trip to Sonora to present a check to Habitat for Humanity of Tuolumne County in the amount of $900.30. They were pleased to see the newly built home, meet the recipient family, and meet the other people involved in the effort as well. These kids were terrific. All were very proud of their accomplishment and we were all touched by their sincerity. Their day was topped off with a trip to Cover’s Apple Ranch where they took their picnic lunches and we treated them to fresh apple juice and cookies. Thanks kids! You did an amazing job.