Ms. Nolting is a 2nd grade teacher from Worthington, Indiana. "Students learn by example and firsthand experience," she said. "Service learning incorporates both of these techniques in a loving and fun way."
Students participated in the service-learning project Love...Pass It On! with the help of a Learning to Give mini-grant. Prior to the project, Ms. Nolting incorporated the lesson Smiles Change the World. She also read a number of books to the class with the shared theme of relationships between children and the elderly including Now Foot, Now Two by Tomie DePaola, Aunt Flossie's Hat by Elizabeth Howard, and When I am Old With You by Angela Johnson.
With agency from the students, themes were presented and voted on each month and decorations for four local nursing homes and one assisted living facility were created. Themes included Veteran's Day where they created flags, poppies, and painted American eagles. In December they painted Christmas Trees and made handmade cards. In April they brought blooming flowers and plants as gifts.
Jaydon said, "I enjoyed getting to vote for the crafts to be made. These make people happy."Ryan said, "I like to paint so this is fun for me. It makes old people smile."
Ms. Nolting bought construction paper, tissue paper, paper plates, pipe cleaners, beads, squiggly eyes, paint, and glitter with the awarded mini-grant. They also used the funds to pay for bus gas and a driver, so they could deliver and meet residents during the month of December.