Unpublished
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Strand PHIL.II Philanthropy and Civil Society
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Standard PCS 01. Self, citizenship, and society
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Benchmark HS.4 Describe and give examples of characteristics of someone who helps others.
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Learners will create a personal mission statement of responsible citizenship applicable to community service.
The learner will:
- define philanthropy and identify at least seven character traits of a participatory citizen.
- describe the purpose of mission statements for organizations and design a personal mission statement supporting philanthropy.
- Toolbox with basic carpentry tools including, but not limited to, blueprint, tape measure, chisel/file, hammer, level, clamp, etc.
- Sample Mission Statements (Attachment One)
- Personal Giving Mission Statement Rubric (Attachment Two)
- Volunteer Questionnaire (Attachment Three)
Guidestar https://www.guidestar.org/ Use this site for information related to nonprofit organizations and their mission statements.
The Center for Civic Education www.civiced.org Use this site for additional information about responsible citizenship.
Anticipatory Set:
Ask the students what tools a carpenter may need to perform the job. Using the toolbox, display the tools and their functions. Ask the students what tools a good student needs. What tools do responsible citizens need in their “toolbox?” To answer that question we need to discuss what constitutes a responsible citizen.
Put the term philanthropy on the board. Ask the learners for their own definitions of the term. Explain that philanthropy is “the giving of one's time, talent or treasure for the sake of another, or for the common good.” Philanthropy also includes voluntary action for the public good or giving and serving to promote human welfare. Solicit examples of ordinary people giving of their time, their talent and their treasure.
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As a class or in small groups, ask the learners to brainstorm ideas of what constitutes a responsible citizen. Organize ideas on the board or overhead. Possible civic virtues include: responsibility, citizenship, loyalty, advocacy, critical thinking, listening, questioning, introspection, awareness of self-bias/prejudiced views, etc.
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Businesses often have a mission statement which may include two or three sentences which highlight their positive traits. The mission statement will usually answer the following questions: Who are we, who do we serve, what do we do, how will we do it? Using Sample Mission Statements ( Attachment One ), give the learners examples of actual mission statements. Others can be obtained at https://www.guidestar.org/, if necessary. Ask the learners why organizations would go to the trouble of writing a mission statement for the organization.
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Just as businesses or organizations have mission statements, individuals may also have a personal mission statement. The pronoun “we” is replaced with “I” for a personal mission statement. Give the learners a sample of a personal mission statement. An example of a personal mission statement might be:
“ As a responsible member of my community, it is my mission to utilize my leadership and management skills to facilitate the success of others. I will motivate them by setting an example that reflects positively on those I serve, my family, my peers, and myself.”
Allow the learners to create their own personal mission statements motivating themselves to contribute to public service. Go over the guidelines expressed in Personal Giving Mission Statement Rubric ( Attachment Two ).
Form small groups according to the number of civic virtues identified by the class during the brainstorming. Using the toolbox, have the class relate common tools to the citizenship virtues used in writing their personal mission statements, such as:
Mission statements will be assessed in accordance with the Personal Giving Mission Statement Rubric ( Attachment Two ).