Malcolm X House: A Mini-Grant Story
Ms. Hawke is a high school teacher from Michigan who says service and philanthropy are important because "they enable [students] to have pride in the ways they can contribute to their community."
A group of 39 high school students participated in the service-learning project Malcolm X House. After generating ideas using the Blue Sky Activity and then adapting the 2017 MLK Day TeachOne lesson to focus on community changemakers, the students participated in a day of service.
Students walked to and from their project site—3 miles total—and gave it their all for a whole day. They worked to clean brush and debris from Detroit's historical Malcolm X House.
One student said, "We did this work for a good cause because the houses all around the Malcolm X house were neat and clean, and it was the only one that needed attention. It helped the whole block." Another said, "I worked so hard—I was dragging trees up the block!"
The $500 Learning to Give mini-grant helped students purchase tools and supplies. Students donated the purchased materials to the school to be used for future projects.