Ally Roberts
The Helping Hands Project
School is supposed to be a safe zone for students - a comfortable place to learn, explore, and be with others. For students who have faced trauma or been exposed to violence at home, school is not only their safe zone but their escape. I had worked in a large urban school district that served low-income students, many of whom had faced trauma and violence in their young lives. Hearing their stories and seeing how it had affected them and how they viewed their worth broke my heart. I am not one who can sit back and watch others feel broken down, especially children. I wanted to raise my students self-esteem to understand their self-worth. I wanted to inspire students to set goals for a bright future for themselves and motivate them to want to make a difference not only in their lives but the lives of others.
With the help of my students, we designed an after-school project where my students and I worked together to create items that we could donate to the homeless and to our local animal shelter. My students came up with the name of "The Helping Hands Project" and together designed our group logo. Being that I was their STEM teacher, we used our STEM mindsets and created items using recycled items! My goal was for students to look at items that most people saw as garbage and repurpose them to create something that can be helpful. Using items such as plastic bags, cardboard, plastic bottles, and old shirts, we were able to create items that my students thought you could only buy at a store. With my students coming from low-income households, this project inspired them to look at objects they had at home in a new way and get creative with what they already had.
Plastic Bag Sleeping Mats
For The Homeless
Plastic Bottle Dog Toys & Cardboard Cat Scratchers
For The Local Animal Shelter
Together, we created a comfortable and inspiring environment in the safety of their school where they could freely collaborate and create without the distractions of home life and classwork. And when our creations were complete, they were donated and gratefully accepted. This project was not only an eye-opener for my students but for myself in that the memories I have from the time spent creating with my students are memories I will always treasure and I truly believe they will too.