Helping Young People Care and Share
We all know
that there is nothing more critical in a democracy than having all citizens
take part, in ways both large and small, just for ‘the good of the order.’
Thanks to the
foresight and generosity of the Orfalea Foundation and the Santa Barbara
Foundation, all third–grade teachers in the county will now have resources to
supplement their units on communities by engaging their students in projects
that make their community a better place.
How
important, and how wonderful.
The idea is
to nurture among our young people the impulse to do good work and help others,
and then channel those impulses into a worthy classroom project. Enabling young
people to help design and execute a project that helps the community -- whether
the larger community, or the school or even the classroom -- helps them
experience the “glow” that comes from giving to others and improving a
community.
Doing good
feels good, and this project provides an early opportunity for young people to
learn that very important lesson.
The logistics
are very simple. Every third–grade teacher in the county is eligible to receive
$250 for projects in their classroom involving students with philanthropy.
The Orfalea
Foundation, in partnership with the Santa Barbara Foundation, will fund this
opportunity for three years, so that every third–grader will have the chance to
experience the joy of caring and sharing.
Teachers need
to fill out a Request for Funds application. Funds will be available
approximately two weeks after the request is received, and may be used on
materials, transportation, research, and related items that enable the
completion of the philanthropic project.
Care &
Share II Resource Booklets sent to all third–grade teachers countywide contain
a long list of suggestions for possible ways to use the grants, plus a list of
all the nonprofits that have been informed of the project and are ready to host
field trips or to work with teachers on ways a classroom could be helpful in
their area, or important programs that could be helped by the small grants.
We are very
pleased to be taking part in this partnership because of the important values
it represents and the way it involves students at a very early age in the joy
of philanthropy.