At Children's Day School, community based learning (often called service learning) is education in action, combining experiential learning with community service. Guided by teachers, community members and Vanessa Lyons, our Community Based Learning Coordinator, our students address real community needs - both within and outside our own school community - by planning and executing service projects that are carefully tied to curricula. All projects are developmentally appropriate for the age groups involved. Follow Vanessa's blog!
As a result of participating in community based learning projects, students develop critical-thinking and problem-solving skills, take on real issues, understand the power of taking community action for positive social change and learn to value and appreciate people of all ages and means as citizens with talents and experiences to share. By eighth grade, CDS students are expected to be able to draw from their diverse experiences to create their own project.
Here are just some of the ways that CDS students are making a difference in our community.
- The Leaping Lizards preschool class held a blanket drive to benefit the Homeless Prenatal Program.
- The Dolphin Kindergartners examined concepts of hunger through reading and writing, and as a result organized a school wide food drive for the San Francisco Food Bank, collecting over 500 pounds of food so far this year and a penny drive benefiting the Heifer Foundation.
- Second grade focused on ways to conserve energy through participation in the Lights Out San Francisco campaign.
- Sixth graders enhanced their study of hydrology and ecosystems by collaborating with the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy to restore riparian habitat in the Presidio.
- The seventh grade studied access to healthcare, with a particular focus on HR 676 (the National Health Insurance Bill), and developed posters to increase public awareness of healthcare issues.
- Eighth graders hosted a drive to collect toiletries for homeless youth. Working with At the Crossroads, the CDS eighth graders also assisted homeless youth by raising funds and producing a documentary to increase public awareness of homelessness.