For many of us, our pets become part of our family and we want to love on them by giving them toys and treats! Sadly, there are many pets in need of love especially at organizations such as the SPCA, Rescue Pet Centers, and Best Friends centers. Pet Based Service Projects can be creatively included in your curriculum via labs, sewing or non-sewing projects and even repurpose projects to help those organziations. Read on to see a variety of ways to do this on the cheap!
Cleats For a Cause, was inspired by the NFL: My Cause Cleats program. Players select a cause they are passionate about and represent their selected organization via custom designed cleats. All proceeds raised go to their cause or charity. I wanted to adapt/recreate this creative project and connect it to charitable giving. This lesson and project provides both hands-on and digital components, keeping your students engaged while learning how to be responsible in choosing and supporting an important cause.
There are tons of articles about including and promoting STEM to our students. I decided to add this “STEM: Role Models & Activities” lesson and project into my child development class. I want my students to not only understand what STEM is, but why it’s important to expose and encourage it with young children.
What I love about this assignment is that it can be adapted to almost any topic that you want students to walk away with messages promoting positive thoughts, actions, and attitudes! I initially created this to use when teaching about healthy dating relationships and after using it thought of umpteen other lessons that I could use it with. So let me give you some background and suggestions for implementing this and then let your students have at it as they develop their own original slogans, messages and images about whatever topic you assign. This is also a great template to use when running a design contest or for club t-shirts or fundraisers!
Looking for a warm and fuzzy community service project to do with your classes this Halloween? Check out the project Staci Wallech of Hagerstown, Maryland challenged her child development classes to create. Students made itty-bitty felt costumes which were donated to the tiny patients of her local hospital! Needless to say, the possibilities for cuteness were endless!
