5 ways to bring students together for a good cause

By Melanie VandenBoogard

Service learning is where students use academic and civic knowledge and skills to address a community need. It’s a way to empower learners and help them build self-confidence. Participants are helping their communities while improving critical thinking skills and increasing subject area knowledge. This approach can also bring students together and foster a sense of belonging, which can have lasting, positive impacts on mental health and even employment. Let’s explore five service-learning ideas that bring students together.

Organize a food drive

Nearly 17% of Canadians face food insecurity. Students can learn about the social and economic factors that lead to hunger, explore potential solutions and take action to help locally.

Contact a community food bank or similar organization to find out the best way to help. It might be by organizing a food drive, where students and staff are asked to collect a certain number of nonperishable food items within a period of time. Perhaps there’s a school-wide pizza party or other fun reward on the line if they reach their goal. If it’s a high school project, students might deliver the donations to the food bank and tour the facility. For younger grades, a field trip could be in order.

Plan a fitness event

There are many aspects to health and wellness. While exploring topics like diet and exercise, have students work together to organize an event like a walk, run or bike ride. In the weeks leading up to the event, focus on encouragement and education related to healthy living. Participants can set goals and track the minutes they spend training. Water bottles and pom-poms make great giveaways for race day, and medals can recognize students who followed through on their commitments.

Revamp a school program

Is there a school program, system or procedure in need of an overhaul? One example might be recycling. In addition to lessons about the environment, waste, recycling and composting, students can explore ways to improve how the school handles its paper, plastic and glass. If inefficiencies are found, students can identify solutions and advocate for their ideas or proposals. Other topic ideas include accessibility, how colours and light affect moods in classrooms, and even how to improve the school’s website.

Host a fundraising competition

Choose a cause related to topics covered in the classroom—whether it is medical research, animal care, homelessness or something else. A student or member of the school community might even have a cause that could use an infusion of funds. Challenge students to come up with creative fundraising ideas and have them vote on their favourite. Consider online platforms or more traditional fundraisers, like bake sales, car washes, raffles and auctions. Or students could sell merchandise, like T-shirts or drawstring sportpacks, imprinted with their class year or school branding, to boost the fundraiser.

Hold a service day

An entire school can come together for a community service day—December 5 just happens to be International Volunteer Day. Groups of students can find different ways to help in the community for class credit. Older students might go out on their own adventures while younger learners may make an impact without leaving the school. For instance, have older students clean up a public space while younger kids pick up the school grounds. Encourage students to volunteer at a senior centre or decorate greeting cards for hospital patients. Foster unity among teams or classes with small tokens, like bracelets or mirrored sunglasses.

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