Tales Out of School

In the first installment of a series of stories by educators making a difference, Mary Draper, the Family and Consumer Science teacher and Work-Based Learning Coordinator at East Junior and East High School in Mankato, Minnesota, shares her story about a service learning project that took her across the globe. Do you have a story to share? Send an email to Cindy Long with your story about an exciting issue or project you’re involved with at your school.

Hats "On" to Service Learning

By Mary Draper

A student and I just returned from an adventure in Bangladesh, and it all began with a cap knitting project.

Last fall my 8th grade Family and Consumer Science classes completed a service learning project knitting baby hats for the nonprofit organization Save the Children’s “Caps to the Capitol” initiative. I chose this service learning project because of its tie to children’s health, and because it included a request that students write letters to Congress and the President lobbying for funds to support newborn global health. Since writing is one of our school district's goals and I also teach a child development unit, it was an excellent fit for my curriculum.

I wrote and received a grant for supplies to make the hats and began the monumental task of teaching 103 students how to knit. Eventually all produced at least one hat; some made up to six.

To make the project relevant, I explained that 4 million infants die each year before they are a month old; 2 million die in the first 24 hours of life, and that simply keeping an infant warm with a knit hat can help save lives. Facts such as these helped the students internalize the value of their work; they even visualized the infants who would receive their hats, including a student who was having problems keeping her hat small. After several attempts to correct the problem, I told her that the large hat would be for the mother of the baby. When she heard me say this, tears welled up in her eyes and she asked, “But what about my baby? Will she die?” I assured her there would be enough hats for the babies.

Students felt empowered knowing their hats would impact newborn health. Eighth grade students truly care about making their world a better place, and learning that they can play an active role helps capture their interest.

Once the hats were finished, the students wrote their letters. They were skeptical about whether the letters would actually be read by the politicians, but they still wrote with conviction. I then packaged the hats and letters and sent them to Save the Children.

From D.C. to Bangladesh

Two months later, I received a call from Save the Children asking if I would come to Washington, DC, with three of my students. One student had never flown and two had never been to Washington, so it was a terrific adventure.

My student teacher also joined us, and the five of us met with staff members of two Senators and Congressman Tim Walz, who is from Mankato, our district. During a meeting with the U.S. Agency for International Development, student Mollie Juberian read her letter to President Bush.

The final activity was a reception at the Textile Museum where journalist Cokie Roberts was the keynote speaker. We felt so honored to be participants in such an important event and also humbled by the entire experience. It was wonderful to see my three students represent all of our 8th graders. But the best was yet to come.

One month later Save the Children invited Mollie and me to travel to Bangladesh. They wanted us to actually deliver the hats to villages there! We left March 22 for 11 days and a lifetime of memories.

Bangladesh is a beautiful country with lush palm trees, rice fields and exotic sounding birds. We met Save the Children staff from the Dhaka office, later flying to Sylhet, an area of vast tea plantations and rice fields. From there we traveled to five villages and placed hats on newborn babies. Meeting with the families was a moving experience. Villagers were exceedingly poor. They lived in mud houses and only one village family had furniture; the others had only blankets on dirt floors. Mollie and I took turns placing hats on the babies. Their families were extremely appreciative of our efforts and said that even after their child outgrew the hat, they would display the hat to remember that people in the U.S. really care.

Upon our return, I tried to help my 8th grade students understand Mollie and I were ambassadors for them. They were with us in spirit and that spirit will continue to be present in Bangladesh long after the babies have outgrown their hats.

The benefits of service learning are many. It engages students in active learning, helps curriculum become relevant to students’ lives, develops critical thinking and problem solving skills, increases awareness of current social issues, and nurtures civic responsibility. Service learning projects are designed to be a meaningful link to community, and this one certainly was. The community happened to extend to our global community.

Save the Children is an incredible organization doing life-saving work in healthcare, education and disaster relief. I would like to encourage people who want to learn more about this organization to visit their web site: www.savethechildren.org.