Learning to Give, Curriculum Division of The LEAGUE

Objectives:

• To use storytelling to illustrate who a philanthropist is
• To implement a community service project based on the story
• To meet the people who are helping others in the community

Activity Theme:

“The future depends entirely on what each of us does every day.”

~ Gloria Steinem

The facilitator tells the group that in this session they will hear a story about a remarkable young person, 11 years of age, who put action to the caring and sharing words and developed a project to help other children. After hearing the story, the group will decide what community service project they could do by filling a suitcase.

Activity:

The facilitator reads the story, “Someone Who’s a Good Citizen” to the group.

When the story is finished, the facilitator processes the information with the group.

1. How did Aubyn find out about the foster children? Who was caring about them?
2. Who is the Suitcase project sharing with?

3. What does it mean to donate? Have you donated to other causes?

4. When did Aubyn act like a philanthropist? Remember that a philanthropist gives of their time, talent, and treasure.

5. Who was the other famous philanthropist Aubyn got to tell about her project?

6. Philanthropists pass on their giving to others. How did Aubyn pass on her idea of Suitcases for Kids to others around the country?

The facilitator points to the suitcase(s) that sit in the front of the room. The question is asked, “What shall we put in our suitcases?”

The participants might call out some ideas such as filling the cases with canned food for the food bank, or putting baby clothes in the suitcase for the Well Baby program, or filling the cases with toys for the children who don’t have many. Let the participants suggest many ideas. When all ideas are listed on the flipchart, give the participants sticky dots and ask them to place the dot beside the top three ideas they liked best. The idea with the most dots becomes the community service project.

The facilitator explains that the participants are to bring the items for the suitcase(s) at the next ses¬sion. A speaker from the organization who will receive the suitcases will be asked to speak to the group about the organization. This person will receive the philanthropy suitcase to take back to the organization and give to the people who need these things. The facilitator explains that each participant has demon¬strated what it means to be a philanthropist and putting the caring and sharing words to work.

Processing:

1. What did you like about the suitcase project?
2. What would you do differently next time? What would you change?

3. What did you learn by participating in the suitcase service project?

4. How does what we did make each of us a philanthropist?

5. What could we do to encourage others to become philanthropists?

Application: