At the school where I work one of the important values we like to impart to our students is community service. It is important to us that they learn to give back to the community they live in. However, we area well-aware that an experiential lesson is much more powerful than a spoken one – so this year we learned by doing.
We took all of our students to tomato fields and they picked tomatoes for needy families.
Our group was a surprise for the organization, as the students ranged from age 3 – 18 and they wondered if they would do a good job.
Our kids picked and picked and found all of the hidden tomatoes too!
Our group was stopped before the time was over, they had picked their quota AND finished filling the quota of an earlier, older group that did not seem to take the community service seriously.
When they were finished they had picked over 1000 kilos (2,200 pounds) of tomatoes, which will be distributed to @ 500 families.
I am so proud of them.
Today, 245 days ’til 40, I am reminded that we are never too old our too young to give to our community. Together we can set an example for future generations – giving back is imperative to healthy community growth and evolution.
~400daystil40
Fortuitous Forty!!! 
buckwheatsrisk
June 21, 2012 at 00:18
it often leaves me wondering who is more blessed the giver or receiver? 🙂
400daystil40
June 21, 2012 at 23:04
Yes, me too!
My Journey into Art
June 21, 2012 at 00:34
Photographs beautiful, so clear I felt I could reach right in and grab a tomato. ajm
400daystil40
June 21, 2012 at 23:04
Thanks! Tomatoes photograph well! 🙂
antarabesque
June 21, 2012 at 05:46
In some Canadian provinces, high school students must complete 80 hours of volunteer service to graduate.
400daystil40
June 21, 2012 at 23:03
I love it when this is a requirement! I think our school is heading in a similar direction.
Spider42
June 21, 2012 at 11:34
That’s fantastic and both you and the kids should be proud. My only advice? Make sure you repeat the praise for doing it and doing it well to them in the coming days (as and when you can) and try and gently nudge in how they did a good thing helping those in the community that needed it.
To some that seems manipulative but I feel that with all the barrage of inputs that kids get today, quietly reinforcing a good attitude and action with praise and a kind word might help instill a base desire to “do the right thing” as it were, which is rarely a bad thing in the developing years.
Kudos to you and your colleagues for being teachers to a (to me) seemingly more motivated group of kids than I’ve seen in a while.
Cheers!
400daystil40
June 21, 2012 at 23:02
Yes, very good point – a one time event will not instill values, it needs to be an ongoing commitment.
sahbinahvioletflynn
June 21, 2012 at 15:49
WOW! Gorgeous tomatoes too! Picked with excitement, eagerness and love. What a lucky group on both sides…well done;o)
400daystil40
June 21, 2012 at 23:01
Thanks!!
anotherthousandwords
June 21, 2012 at 16:04
A beautiful post!
400daystil40
June 21, 2012 at 22:59
Thank you!
anotherthousandwords
June 22, 2012 at 03:29
You are entirely welcome! Keep up the good work…teaching is admirable, at least in my opinion, and learning does not always come from books!
400daystil40
June 22, 2012 at 21:58
🙂 😉 🙂
viveka
June 22, 2012 at 12:12
What a brilliant idea and post … great photos too.
400daystil40
June 22, 2012 at 21:57
Thanks!!! 🙂
narf77
June 26, 2012 at 00:08
And THAT my friend is why you are an educator 🙂 There are none so exuberant as children 🙂
400daystil40
June 26, 2012 at 09:29
Very very true! Yes, I LOVE those days when they make my heart melt! 🙂