Learning is all the more meaningful when it helps others. There is no shortage of wonderful educational activities that children, parents and teachers can get involved in that not only promotes learning, but which also makes the world a kinder place. The following are some activities that children and adults can do together that definitely will make a difference!

A Great Idea to Help Fight World Hunger by The Hunger Site

In a track entitled "Thanksgiving" on Harry Chapin’s The Gold Medal Collection CD (released to commemorate the singer/song writer/humanitarian’s posthumous receipt of the Special Congressional Gold Medal - the highest award that can be given to a citizen by the U.S. Congress), Chapin applauds the annual collection of food by students for those who need it. However, he goes on to question (and rightly so) why students aren’t taught more meaningful lessons pertaining to the issue of hunger.

Well, I just received some excellent ideas from The Hunger Site’s online newsletter which I have included below.
 

GOOD PEOPLE, GOOD WORKS Suzanne, a second-grade teacher, has bookmarked The Hunger Site on her classroom's computer and added clicking on The Hunger Site to her students' daily schedule. Each day a different child is selected to turn on the computer, access The Hunger Site on the Internet, click on the donate food button and record how many cups were donated. At the end of each week, Suzanne and her class calculate how many cups of food they donated that week. Suzanne feels that in addition to educating students about world hunger, the exercise is also a great introduction to computers, math, and social studies. * * * * * * * * * * Dave teaches science and computers in a small elementary school in Ontario, Canada. Upon telling his students about The Hunger Site, the entire school rallied to support the cause. Student "monitors" now make daily donations on all 44 of the school's computers. Students include the site in their daily agendas and encourage friends and family to set it as their home page. Daily donation totals and statistics from The Hunger Site and The Rainforest Site are used to create data management and probability lessons in the school's math program.  * * * * * * * * * * Rogelio, a professor from Guadalajara, Mexico, encourages students to visit The Hunger Site every day. He also took advantage of an opportunity to spread the word during his study of youth culture. In a well-known kiosk where young people gather, he posted an invitation for all to visit The Hunger Site.

Parents and teachers can also use these educational lessons to help people and provide a very valuable lesson for children who are introduced to this very important (and often ignored) issue. For more information on The Hunger Site click below:

The Humane Society of Canada’s Wildlife Guardians Program

For a $25 donation towards a species of animal who needs help the donor receives a handwritten note card, a certificate of appreciation suitable for framing, a photograph of the animal, a stuffed toy and a fact sheet about the threats facing the animal who you helped. Animals who you can help are: whales, dolphins, tigers, elephants, sea turtles, bears and lions.

Teachers and parents will find this program and the material included in the package very useful in teaching children respect and compassion for animals in general, and the problems facing the particular species of animal assisted with a donation in particular.

If the donor is older and has no use for the stuffed toy, another kind gesture would be to give the toy to an underprivileged child.  The Wildlife Guardians Program also makes a great gift.

To find out more about this important program go to The Humane Society of Canada’s web site at: www.humanesociety.com (click on "Online Adventure Store" and then "Wildlife Guardian Program.") You can also phone 1-800-641-KIND (5463) or 1-416-368-0405.