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Teach Giving to Inspire Community

When young people take action to make a positive difference, they step up their game. Imagine the impact on classrooms, schools, regions, and the global community when all youth learn the value and practice of giving and civic participation.

"Giving back helps solidify your place in the world and is a big part of building a student's identity. In the larger scheme of things, I want students to realize that their actions impact more than just themselves." -Ms. Jenerou, MI

Cultivate community in your classroom or program and beyond by engaging young people's head and heart. With Learning to Give lessons and resources you will strengthen youth sense of purpose and belonging, foster an environment of caring and respect, and inspire youth engagement and conribution.

Use our assessments for youth, teachers, families, and community partners to document the impact of service-learning and philanthropy instruction: Evaluation of Impact

Our free teaching resources include the following:

Social Awareness

We are a global community of diverse stories - past, present, and future. Sharing our unique stories helps make a better world as we engage in the philanthropic act of generous listening. The following two resources were written by practicing teachers across the country to guide empathy, decision making, community building, and social justice. Social Emotional Learning: Guides with suggested activities and videos to help students engage in SEL while Learning to Give. Social Justice: Lesson plans by grade level that culminate in a StoryCorps-style project.

Lessons

Teacher-created philanthropy education lessons magnify the impact of any academic content with themes of generosity, community, and civic and social responsibility. Perfect base for PBL, service-learning, and student-centered instruction. Lessons align to state standards, including Common Core State Standards, and some international standards.

Current Events

Current events provide opportunities to discuss our role in civil society and to decide whether and how to get involved. At Learning to Give, we want to help young people learn about and practice taking action for the common good. Look here for current ideas to spark youth knowledge and action to make a difference.

Issue Areas

Issue Area-Related Lesson Plans and Project Ideas

The best service-learning projects are related to learning, involve youth voice and choice, address a researched need, and work with local resources. Click the green button in each issue area block below to access a ...

After-School

Learning to Give in Your After-School Program 

Use our step-by-step mini-courses for teaching generosity and building community connections in your after-school program. Learning to Give’s Free Teaching and Learning Mini-Courses linked below guide After-School instruction and...