Students learn how to serve

An activity that grew out of students’ desire to help those affected by the World Trade Center tragedy has helped to kick start the service learning program at Lawrence Intermediate School

By: Steve Bates
   "Buy a pin! It’s for a good cause!" is the call to action that has been bouncing off the walls of halls and classrooms at the Lawrence Intermediate School recently.
   The 24 members of Jane Fetter’s fifth-grade class, like many groups of civic-minded citizens across the country, wanted to do something to help the families affected by the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.
   The colorful pins Lawrence Intermediate School students have been selling are a testament to the feeling of unity that has been sweeping across this country since Sept. 11.
   For the kids, the experience has helped them find a use for that pent-up feeling of helplessness affecting many. For Ms. Fetter, the exercise has provided a chance for her to shift Lawrence Intermediate School’s service learning program into high gear.
   The design of each pin is simple, which made the mass production of about 900 of them a little easier. They are round, feature three Keith Haring-like stick figures that are always three different colors and bear the phrase "United We Stand."
   Some pins have been colored brightly; others are a more conservative shade. Students say the red, white and blue pins are the most popular.
   Ms. Fetter said school officials decided not to tell students about the tragedy the day it happened, believing the news should come from their parents. Principal William Buss told students over the intercom at 3 p.m. that there had been a bad accident in New York City and parents who worked in Manhattan might be delayed picking up their children from school, she said.
   When the students returned to school Wednesday, they were very ready to talk, said Ms. Fetter. At first they approached her individually before classes started for the day. Later, Ms. Fetter led a class discussion on the subject.
   By that point the students seemed to have already decided that they would like to do something to help, said Ms. Fetter.
   By that Friday, the class decided it would collect donations for handcrafted pins. This was after their teacher explained that they wouldn’t gain much from the experience if they opted for a bake sale fund-raiser instead.
   "Brownies aren’t service learning," she said.
   The teacher explained that the warm fuzzy feeling that comes from helping someone is produced through effort. A bake sale would probably result in students merely collecting the money for products that they had very little to do with making — a hollow experience at best.
   By the following Wednesday, Sept. 19, students began working about three to four hours a day on the project. By Sept. 24, students were canvassing the halls of LIS with their wares. They raised about $270 the first day, according to Ms. Fetter.
   Throughout the process, the students were at the helm of the project, said their teacher. They divided themselves up into coloring or cutting stations and thought about how best to market their product.
   Elizabeth Pasquito explained that the class decided early on that it was easier to have classmates concentrate on specific tasks, rather than for everyone to individually create a bunch of buttons from start to finish.
   So, one group colored sheets of buttons, while another took them to be laminated, said Elizabeth. Another group cut out the plastic coated pins, while another trimmed the edges. Someone applied the glue to the backs and someone applied the locking pins to the backs of the creations.
   Classmate Craig Segall explained that students didn’t limit themselves by saying they were "selling" pins. Instead, they told potential buyers the class was seeking donations for the pins, reasoning some people would be inclined to give much more than the $1 asking price, he said.
   Besides raising close to $300 in a few hours, the students learned a lot about responsibility, said Kari VanTreuren.
   They knew that once they committed to the fund-raiser, they had to deliver, she said. The fact that the laminated surfaces on some of the buttons began to peel away midway through the process made no difference. The students plodded through and individually ironed the defective buttons, said Kari.
   Elizabeth said it felt good to know she and her classmates were helping people affected by the terrorist attacks.
   Ashley Figatner said the project helped her learn about the power of teamwork. She said cooperation is important when there is a tragedy.
   It might be easier to stand back and let others take do the work when tragedy strikes, but problems can be solved more quickly if everyone helps, she said.
   Eunice Prakash agreed.
   "When we started the project it was really hard, but when we worked together it got easier," said Eunice.
   Elizabeth said she noticed something else during the first day of sales. Older students, who usually ignored her fellow fifth-graders, were very interested in their project and some even felt a little embarrassed when they didn’t have any money to donate to the cause. Everyone wanted to help, she said.
   Anissa Chitour explained it was important to make the three people symbolized on the buttons different colors because the class understood the national tragedy affected everyone, regardless of skin color.
   With all these insights whizzing around the room, Ms. Fetter smiled as though she had reached a state of educational nirvana. Two things were at work here. First, she was proud of her students’ for their hard work. Second, the class was reaping the fruits of service learning, a program relatively new to the district though it has existed nationally for about two decades.
   The idea is simple: The best way to instill a sense of volunteerism in tomorrow’s citizens is to help them experience it today.
   In service learning, the pin project can be supplemented with exercises in writing, research, math, science – essentially anything that pertains to the curriculum, according to Ms. Fetter.
   For instance, the class researched the origin of the American Red Cross, which will receive the proceeds of the pin sale. The students said they learned that the Red Cross did not start in America, that a woman named Clara Barton developed the idea here in the states and that there exists a Red Crescent outside this country that operates much like the domestic charity.
   Schools Superintendent Max Riley considers this method of reinforcing learning through community service valuable and has charged Ms. Fetter and Assistant Principal Marilyn Katz with the responsibility of establishing the program at LIS.
   "I think people are realizing that volunteering is important," she said. "There is a satisfaction that comes from doing for others."
   Ms. Fetter admits she and the students kind of fell into their first service learning project, but that it has been a success. Basic skills reading students at the school will soon embark on their first service learning experience. They and teacher Kathie Baldassari will sponsor a blood drive for parents and staff members at the school Oct. 19.
   "If we can expose the children to volunteerism when they’re young, they’ll continue to do it," said Ms. Fetter. "I was raised doing service projects. What thrilled me is that the class initiated this."
Ms. Fetter’s class also includes: Corey Bannister, Ian Cash, Malek Chitour, Parker Foose, Margaret Fortney, Stephanie Greenfield, Grace Greenleaf, Kristen Hamilton, Case Jemison, Parth Joshi, Andrew Krech, Zack Lubow, Melanie Lucash, Hannah MacLean, Anthony Russ, Ajan Sivaramamoorthy, Todd Stone-Sapp and Ann Turkowski.