With classes getting harder and harder as high school goes on, piles of homework every night and tests every week, it’s easy to get caught up in one’s individual life. The entire point of school is to better oneself, to prepare for the future. However, starting this year some students will take a period of the school day to focus on others for a change. Over the past few years Mr. Nussbaum and Mrs. Hunt worked together and came up with the idea for a new class, SLE, or Service Learning Experience. The idea became reality and is now a sixth hour, co-taught by Nussbaum and Hunt.
“…this class has been in the process for years, we both had these types of ideas and hopes. For us this is … education at it’s best…,” Nussbaum said.
The school year started, and with it the class and before long students started volunteering. But before embarking on their first community service projects, the class did activities together to prepare. They made videos to get to know one another and worked on conversation skills. Each student was surveyed and matched with the community service site that best fitted their strengths and interests.
“We did a lot of reflection, action, dialogue stuff. It was activities teaching us how to go about going to our site.” Senior Clare Frantz said of the first few weeks of class.
Guest speakers also frequented the class, coming to talk and give advice and tips. But the first few weeks of class were over, and it became time to get to volunteering. Students headed out in all different directions; Frantz to Stepping Stones last Tuesday for her first day of volunteering, helping with toddlers and wherever else she was needed. Stepping Stones is just one of the many sites where students are volunteering. Others include West Junior High, Central Junior High, First Presbyterian Manner, and the Special Education department here.
The class isn’t all fun and volunteering though, there’s a much deeper learning experience involved.
“It’s so much more practical than other classes, something that people can really use after high school, outside of just plain education and school.” Frants said. “You can become more involved in your community and it also teaches you life lessons. It’s always good to learn how to better your community and help other people, just in general being able to give your time to people who need it, and don’t’ have as much.”
Though the class may only be a semester, it is a learning experience that will last a life time. Nussbaum and Hunt want students to walk away with so much more than just another grade on the report card. They want them to experience what it’s like to change a community for the better, to change lives.
“[This experience] can be learning, action, reflection, and celebration. It can be feel good, it can be painful, the goal is for people to have real life experiences, and that’s what education can be; real life experiences, helping others and caring for others and themselves, building a local community that not only cares for those on top but those on bottom as well.”
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