Giving Back: Student Service Projects
Photo by Dorie Palmer
Disclaimer: Kowalske is the advisor for the Charger Press and many students mentioned in this article also contribute to this newspaper.
After AP testing, it is not uncommon for students to receive one final project for the end of the year. Research and presentations are the norm, but AP Lang teacher, Mrs. Sarah Kowalske, has a different approach: service projects. On the third year running, Kowalske says she likes to “provide students with the opportunity to put all of their skills to good use, while promoting the idea of giving back to the community.” She elaborates that the project ties in skills her students have been working on all year, persuasion, collaboration, critical-thinking, rhetorical analysis, and more. “The goal is to put all of their skills to the test in a real-world situation.”
Many students in the class have split up into groups, choosing an issue, and addressing it the best that they can. Kowalske recognizes that organizing a service project while respecting social distancing guidelines is difficult and students had to be creative. However, she also says that “with the pandemic, there are many groups and organizations that are in need of help and I’ve been proud of the students for picking topics that can truly make a positive impact.”
For students such as Hamilton juniors Sarah Onysio, Ella Chevalier, Ella Heintz, and Emma Hartman, the virus has not stopped their efforts. Together, they have started a letter writing campaign to send appreciation letters to veterans for Memorial Day. Onysio says “We chose this project because the usual Memorial Day festivities are canceled this year because of COVID-19. Usually, Sussex hosts a parade to honor their veterans, but because of social distancing, this is not possible. We decided to create this campaign so the community can still honor veterans and veterans can still feel admired and appreciated.”
The four have already started their projects through their social media platforms to recruit people to write letters in addition to contacting different schools in the district asking them to get involved. “Many people are looking for ways that they can help during these hard times,” says Hartman. “Writing a letter of thanks is simple and fun! By writing letters to veterans, we can help remember their bravery and sacrifices and make sure that they still get the honor they deserve for Memorial Day.”
For more information on how to contribute, check out this informational handout. Text 262-239-8206 with any questions you may have. The group has requested letters to be mailed by Tuesday, May 19th. If you are delivering them, by Thursday, May 21st in order to ensure they will be delivered by Memorial Day. “The sooner we can get letters, the better, since we want them to get to veterans by Memorial Day. However, we will certainly be collecting letters past that date, so we hope to continue thanking our veterans past Memorial Day as well,” says Chevalier.
Along a similar vein of thankfulness, Hamilton juniors Bella Brundage, Kenzie Hietpas, and Cheyenne Lewis, have chosen to create an online forum to thank essential workers. “Everyone needs a little "pick-me-up" sometimes, that's the idea we based our entire project around,” says Brundage. “Our service project entails creating a forum for thank-you notes directed towards essential workers...and baking cookies for the businesses and organizations we have partnered with.” Brundage explains that “During this time, there is a lot of focus on some essential workers over others. Garbage mens' lives have not stopped and have likely been ramped up with everyone now being at home 40 hours more than usual during the week.” The group hopes to support, recognize, and appreciate everyone who is putting their lives on the line in order to help others, including pediatric staff, garbage men, and more. Brundage concluded saying “We will be making our forum available for anyone to write on and when it is ready, we'll make it as accessible as possible. All we can ask from others is that they take even just thirty seconds out of their day to just be kind and encourage anyone and everyone they know to do the same.”
Other students, such as juniors Maja Pechanach, Rashmi Majjigapu, Cynthia Yan, and Mia Traverse, have taken a more musical approach. The four will be playing together on woodwind instruments such as clarinets, saxophones, and flutes. Traverse explains their project will be to play “in neighborhoods and outside nursing homes to provide entertainment for people during the Covid-19 crisis. Because we’re on lockdown and many people aren’t able to go out and have fun in the usual ways they used to do, we decided to bring the entertainment to them!”
The four recognized that the pandemic has caused a lot of stress and can magnify depression, anxiety, and mental health struggles. Yan says “the best way to combat these negatives was to put on concerts, as music is a proven stress and anxiety reliever. One of the most overlooked issues during this time is the toll that the virus is taking on mental health, so we decided this should be the main focus of our project.”
According to Yan, the group has already “chosen most of the repertoire of our concerts and have made initial contact with some of the venues we will be performing at. Our next steps are to advertise, rehearse, then perform!”
Pechanach finished the interview on a more sentimental note. “I think that people's happiness is seriously overlooked when it comes to the pandemic. Most people are worrying about physical things like masks, cleaning products, and food without thinking about the mental deterioration of staying inside for over two months. The music we bring to people aims to lift the spirits of listeners and help them understand that not all is lost, despite the loneliness of quarantine. Music will never go away, and by bringing our music to others, we can show that to the community.”
Even with all the chaos, students are still finding ways to spread goodness. Kowalske notes that “Oftentimes students come back and tell me that the service learning project was their favorite part of class. They acknowledge that it was one of the hardest things they did and that it took the most effort, but that the payoff was significant.” She continues on to say “Every year, students impress me with what they accomplish and how hard they work. Regardless of the size of the project, every student is able to make an impact and do something good for the community. I’m so proud of all of them and know that this year’s projects will continue to make me proud.”
Consider contributing to these students’ projects by writing letters or adding to the forum once it is online. Like many people, you may find it particularly rewarding. In the words of Chevalier, “Especially during this time, it is nice to be able to spread positivity and help others even when we can’t do so in person.”
