Give Peace a Chance
The International Day of Peace is celebrated annually on September 21 worldwide. The student council at Robert F. Kennedy Community High School in Flushing, NY, commemorated the event by wearing peace signs, awarding peace awards to others, and forming a human peace sign in the gym. In addition, students also created a human rainbow by wearing the color assigned to their class: red, yellow, green, and blue.
Fulfills Global Citizenship initiative strand: civic engagement
Project Night Night
The student council at St. Francis Catholic High School in Gainesville, FL, decided to participate in Project Night Night—an organization that provides bags that may be filled with items such as collected books, blankets, and a stuffed animal so homeless children can have sweeter dreams. By setting out a donation jar, the council was able to purchase 24 Project Night Night bags, fill them with the needed items, and donate them to Interfaith Hospitality Network of Greater Gainesville (now known as Family Promise of Gainesville).
Fulfills Global Citizenship initiative strand: empathetic actions and wellness
Think Pink!
To benefit the American Cancer Society, the student council at Walpole High School in Massachusetts decided to hold a Pink Dance. The cafeteria was decorated with pink streamers, pink balloons, and signs provided by the American Cancer Society. In addition, they served pink lemonade, pink cotton candy, pink cookies, and pink cupcakes. All proceeds raised from ticket sales were donated to the American Cancer Society’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk, held in Boston.
Fulfills Global Citizenship initiative strand: awareness/perspectives
Months of Leadership
There are roughly 10 months from the start of the school year to the last day. The student council at West Career and Technical Academy in Las Vegas intends to make the most of that time by enacting a program titled “Months of Leadership,” which offers different leadership workshops to students throughout the year. There are 10 letters in the word “leadership,” so each month has a permanently designated letter-August is L, September is E, October is A, and so on. West Tech’s lineup is Learning, Efficiency, Appreciation, Delegation, Excellence, Responsibility, Service, Honesty, Innovation, and Positivity. Any school can adopt this program. Feel free to add themes to the workshops, and remember to do them consistently every month. This is a great way to teach your students about leadership characteristics throughout the year.
Service Station
Here’s a quick idea for a hot spot. The National Honor Society at Wooster High School in Ohio installed a bulletin board in a busy hallway to serve as a posting spot for community service opportunities for NHS members and other students who wanted to serve. To get the ball rolling, NHS members reached out to more than 50 community social service agencies and clubs, inviting them to send information on opportunities.
Community Welcome Buckets
NHS students at Milton Area High School in Pennsylvania started a project where they make “welcome buckets” for anyone who moves into the school district—whether they have school-aged children or not. The buckets include a calendar, sports passes, promotional DVD, a copy of the school newspaper, and some cookies made by the high school foods classes. Tip: Split the effort into three deliveries: one in the fall at the beginning of the year, another at semester change, and a final one at the end of the year. This is a great way to get new community members connected to the school.
Snack Attack
NJHS students at Making Waves Academy Middle School in Richmond, CA, raised funds for Door of Faith Orphanage in Mexico by selling food items such as nachos, juice, water, Gatorade, candy, popcorn, and more. To prepare, each NJHS member donated $10, and three students were chosen to gather the food items. Student members also helped by preparing food or getting tables organized. By the end of the event, the students had raised a whopping $1,281.53 for a great cause!
Fulfills Global Citizenship initiative strand: empathetic actions and wellness
From Trash to Treasure
In an effort to raise awareness for the school recycling program, the student council of Roy Martin Middle School (RMMS) in Las Vegas, NV, organized a recycled art competition. The competition was open to all RMMS students and staff. The project required participants to create art from materials that would normally be deemed as trash or to create a project sharing the message “reduce, reuse, recycle.”
Fulfills Global Citizenship initiative strand: positive social change