Settlement houses aimed to improve the lives of community members by addressing social challenges and promoting social welfare. In this lesson, we explore how they addressed the needs of the community where government efforts fell short. Many communities still have similar programs....

Participants gain awareness about the work of local nonprofit organizations through research and by interviewing representatives. They summarize the mission, needs, and impact of the organizations on the community.

Students experience working and unemployment through a very simplified role play.

Students learn how and challenge others to reduce waste based on observing habits in the lunchroom or in the classroom trash can.

Adapt this one-period lesson plan for your grade level and follow it with a simple and powerful service project...

This predictable and repetitive story, The Doorbell Rang, has a charming and surprising ending. The children must share a plate of cookies with a growing number of neighbors, but what do they do when there are more kids than cookies? They might surprise you! 

Now that the need they want to address is identified, the children meet people in the community who address the need and others who may want to help them with their fundraiser. 

Students learn effective techniques and complete prewriting activities for writing a persuasive essay. As a culmination of the unit, students choose one of the three styles of writing--news article, personal narrative, or persuasive essay--to write, edit, and publish about their experience with...

Using provided evaluation or reflection forms, share details about the service and its impact. A demonstration to an interested audience is a great way to show details of the need and service and celebrate relationships and impact. 

Young people make puppets out of recycled materials. They use their creativity to come up with a movable puppet that represents a character in their puppet play.