Many people have a difficult time distinguishing between acts of kindness and acts of philanthropy. Using the definition of philanthropy from the “Defining Philanthropy” lesson, youth will examine various situations and decide which ones are acts of philanthropy. They may discover...

Students define community and recognize that a class or after-school group is a community because the members share interests and goals and work together.  Focus Questions:  What is a community and what is my role? What is health and why is it important?

Each learner sets an individual goal using a goal-setting strategy. The group reflects on perseverance and how to persevere when the plan gets difficult to carry out.

Learners write personal narratives to document activities, insights, research, impact, and discoveries of their firsthand experience with civic engagement, service, and volunteerism. By explaining involvement in action for the common good, learners raise awareness of a social issue, the need for...

Youth develop an understanding of the value of a service learning project as they realize their responsibility to contribute to the community in positive ways.

Learners examine their family trust relationships and connect their experiences with the trust bank account. They brainstorm things their family depends on them for and decide if they feel trustworthy at home.

Motivated by the song "This Land is Your Land," learners locate areas on a U.S. map and discuss the definitions of community, philanthropy, and volunteer. They picture themselves as volunteers, helping others.

The song "This Land Is Your Land" describes many places in the United States in order to call out our wonderful shared places. Young people understand that a country is made up of people living in the same place and working together to keep the...

This lesson focuses on the meaning and benefits of gratitude. Teens research one aspect of gratitude in order to understand its relationship to health, happiness, or generosity. For their service project, they decide how they can 'deliver gratitude' to a deserving person or group. They will then...

Students design a plan to make themselves and their school community healthier. They brainstorm what it means to get moving and exercise, and they see that increasing physical fitness activity is good for everyone and brings a community together. Students will choose or design a service project...