Teaching Team
and Mary Lou Huchet
also Linda Nickman

Grade Levels
Students in grades K-12 participate in different areas of the project

Timeline:
Throughout the entire school year

Equipment Needed:
Computer access for research
Cardboard boxes for can collection

Hurdles:
Some students are hesitant about interaction

Groups had to be flexible in what the soup kitchens' needs were

Solutions:
Preparation by peers allowed students to feel more comfortable.

Celebration/Recognition:
Lunch after volunteering
Press coverage in local
Administration recognizes the groups and an awards ceremony

Key Findings:
Students were anxious about participation but were fully engaged after thei first experience.

The third group is a special education class who also plans to volunteer at the local shelter. This group spends several classes Princeton Regional Schools periods on preparation for the trip and the other two student group participates with presentations.

Academic Focus:

Computer Science – research on local and global hunger

English – Research writing, press releases, journals and midterm papers

Social Studies – Tied into local and global research, welfare information and current events.

Public Speaking and Social Skills – presentation and interaction with adults in the workplace

Math- Budgets for trips recording food recovered, planning Logistics

School-To-Work Transition

Develop Career Planning and Workplace Readiness Skills
This project prepares students to interact with other adults in the workplace, students who are interested in non-profit management or even restaurant management is exposed to those careers

Use Technology, Information and other tools
Student learn computer research skills, database management and logistical planning

Use Critical Thinking, Decision Making and Problem-Solving Skills
Students are in charge of forming the programs and choose when are where they will participate. Students are responsible  for all communication with the other schools and soup kitchens. Inevitably, problems arise that the students alone must deal with.

Demonstrate Self Management Skills
These skills are developed when working in the soup kitchens as student may face unknown strangers

Performance-Based Education
Students plan and carry out an event that benefits the community and teaches academic skills

Cooperative Learning
Students work in groups to organize food collections and activities. Many components of the project are done as a class

Interdisciplinary Approach
Social Studies, English, Computer Science, and Math are used throughout this project

Personal Growth Outcomes:
Students develop a sense of pride after completing components with "clients." In some cases of the project and applying them to real world problems.

Community Involvement:
Local restaurants donated food. University students and other adults in the community volunteered time.

Parent and Volunteer Involvement:
Local parents and adults form the community helped more comfortable. Locate restaurants and pick up and transport donated food

Reflection Activities:
Lunch after volunteer exercises allowed students to talk freely  about fears and experiences. Students also write in journals and in guided questions as well as meeting with student leaders, administrators, teachers and service learning coordinator

Means of Assessment:
Teacher observation of students performance and completed  projects during various stages of the activity.