Community involvement and awareness is one of the primary goals of education at any level. In upper grades, community service requirements often address the needs of students to be an active and supporting member of a community. But what about younger students? With a little teacher support, getting your kids to be active community members and supporting good citizenship is simple.
One way to promote citizenship for younger students is to encourage a letter-writing or gift package campaign in the classroom. Many local community groups, from food pantries and shelters to senior citizens, appreciate messages, drawings, or care packages that students can easily put together. This type of project is easy to manage in a classroom, requires minimal setup, and requires only a little outreach by the teacher to contact a community organization. Children typically enjoy knowing that their writing, art, or gift-making will be appreciated by an audience outside of school.
In-class character education is another way to encourage community involvement and citizenship. Character education lessons can teach children what is expected of a community member in short, easy snippets. Resources like the Walch Daily Warm-Ups – Character Education book offer an easy way for anyone to quickly and easily address character education in the classroom. These resources are particularly useful because many states require some form of character education in schools, and teachers need an easy, quick way to integrate it into the curriculum. Daily reflections, journaling, writing, and “what if” scenarios can help teach children responsibility and community involvement.
Arranging visits from community members is another wonderful way to encourage students to practice responsible citizenship. Many members of your community may be willing to come in and speak to younger children. Business owners or career people may be willing to share about their careers or roles in the community. Imagine your first graders getting to really meet some local firefighters, police officers, or military members in uniform, and how excited they would be.
Other types of visits might include local librarians to discuss literacy, specialists from science centers or museums, or even just senior citizens willing to come in and share a lifetime of stories. Arranging a community member visit is a simple way to involve the community in your classroom and share how wonderful your school’s children can be. This connection is just as important to your visitors as it is to your students. Before inviting a visitor to your classroom, check your school policies on visitors to ensure that all school, district, and state laws are followed and that a safe visit is provided for everyone involved.
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