Tag: Giving Back this Holiday Season

Tis the Season to Give Back

by Eleanor K. Smith, posted in Blog, Social Awareness and Responsibility Skills, Uncategorized

From the book Tex the Explorer and The Jared Box Project

Illustration by Eyen Johnson

As many of you know, I am passionate about two things, authentic teaching, and The Jared Box Project. These two things work together perfectly, when you are authentically teaching about giving. It is so important all year, but especially this time of year, to remember to give back.

Jared McMullen was diagnosed with an incurable brainstem tumor in 1999. He carried a backpack full of toys and games to all appointments and questioned why the other children didn’t bring toys to their exam rooms. Jared shared his toys and invited the other children to join him in a game of UNO. At just 5 years old, he demonstrated faith, wisdom and compassion for others.

Jared’s classmates sought to honor his memory and created boxes filled with toys for the patients at their local hospital. What was intended as a one-time project has grown into a nonprofit that reaches into the hearts of children and their families across all 50 US States, and also internationally.

I did a presentation last year at a special education school. These children had a great deal on their plate, but all engaged and enjoyed making Jared Boxes. They already earned credit at their school store (for task completion and behavior), and during the Jared Box Project (the name of the project and a project!) they used their credit to buy items for the Jared Box that they were going to make. The students were all engaged, proud, learning, and eager to share their finished boxes.

For more information about The Jared Box Project visit TheJaredBox.org

Giving Back!

by Eleanor K. Smith, posted in Authentic Project Ideas, Social Awareness and Responsibility Skills, Uncategorized

I have written about this story before, but it is so important to me that I feel I should repeat it at the holiday season.

When I was about 11 or 12 years old, my great-grandfather gave me face powder as a holiday gift. He was in his 90s and had no idea that pre-teen girls didn’t wear face powder. After he left, I expressed my disappointment to my mother, in tears – my usual mode of pre-teen communication. Instead of lecturing me that I should be grateful or telling me I was spoiled etc, my mother agreed that this was not a great gift for a girl my age. She didn’t offer to replace it, instead she suggested we find an older woman who might not be getting gifts for the holidays, and donate this to her. After some discussion, my mother, brothers, and I decided to find an entire family that we could donate gifts to for the holidays.

This was before the internet, and giving-trees etc, and it was actually not easy to find out how to accomplish this. But my mother persevered, and we found a family in need, bought and wrapped gifts, and delivered them to the family – including the face powder that started this all.

We continued this throughout my entire childhood, and as adults have all continued this tradition with our own families. I can’t imagine a holiday season where giving to some one in need isn’t a part of it. It is definitely my favorite part of the holidays.

So authentic project idea – brainstorm with your class, children, family a way to give back this holiday season. Something as simple as a home-made card can really brighten up someone’s holiday.