As part of its Character Education program, Carson Elementary School students recently completed a school-wide community service project to benefit refugee families in the Denver area. A fifth grade student presented the idea to Carson’s Character Education committee that this year's project should benefit refugee families. She had the idea to do something for families associated with Salud Family Health Centers because she had volunteered there with her family.
Tracey Pliskin, a JFS volunteer and Character Education committee member, thought there was perfect synergy with the JFS refugee program. “A few months ago, JFS asked me to lead an effort to collect 100 toiletry bags for its Refugee Mental Health clients, and this project at Carson was the perfect opportunity to make this happen,” says Tracey. “We decided to create 200 toiletry bags to split between JFS and Salud, and kids also made fleece blankets for the families at Salud.”
Tracey and other Character Education committee members collaborated with staff from JFS’s Refugee Mental Health department and the Salud Family Health Centers to create a three-part curriculum for this project:
Week one: The students listened to a personal story from a JFS interpreter who was in a refugee camp in Burma before coming to the United States. Tracey says, “In April, the Character Education trait we taught in classes was courage, so we tied it in nicely with the program because of the courage needed to leave behind your family, country, etc. and to go somewhere new. We handed out a homework project for students to find out the stories of their own families and how they arrived in Colorado. Then their stories were shared during the next two weeks of this project.”
Week two: Students created "welcome to America" cards to be placed in every Carson Cares bag of toiletries. Each class group also made a knotted fleece blanket for the families of the Salud clinics.
Week three: Kids assembled 200 Carson Cares bags filled with shampoo, soap, toothpaste, toothbrushes, conditioner, and lotion. Bonus items in many of the bags were deodorant, sunscreen, razors, and other toiletry items. The students collected the donated items and cash donations from their families and friends. Student council and the Character Education committee also donated money to run the program.
Tracey says of the project, “I think it was incredibly impactful for the kids to see that they were helping people who came to Colorado with nothing and that we were providing such basic items that they couldn't afford. I heard from teachers that the blanket project had a big impact as the kids (especially younger ones) could not believe that a child didn't have their own blanket. Hearing the personal story of one refugee was powerful for the students, teachers, and parents in the audience, too.” She adds, “Talking and teaching about refugees is not an easy topic, and it was eye-opening for many involved. Dorothy Moon from JFS sent over some great lesson plans that really helped.”
This is the third year Carson has done a school-wide community service project. Other projects included care packages for U.S. soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan and bags for homeless children in Denver Public Schools.
Thank you so much to Tracey Pliskin and all of Carson Elementary for taking on this incredible community service project! The bags and cards you created for our refugee clients are invaluable for helping them feel welcome in their new homes and we appreciate your generosity in giving them items that they may not be able to afford on their own. Also, thank you to Tracey for taking the wonderful photos of the students in action!
-Alaina Green and Kari Alpen, JFS Marketing Department
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