Integrated Learning
- Preparation: At the beginning of the ITU students will take a virtual field trip through Heroism In Action. During the virtual field trip students will be directed towards a section of the website where the students are given ideas on how they can demonstrate heroism locally. After investigating the importance of heroism locally through the study of historic and literary heroes students will revisit the ideas provided during the virtual field trip. As a class, students will determine a service learning project they would be willing to participate in.
- Service Action: Students will research and acquire information on ways to give back to the local community. Such activities can be direct, such as providing other students breakfast before school or sponsoring a child from another country, while other actions are indirect, such as creating a student council or a youth council. Whatever service learning project the class decides upon they will not limit participation to just those enrolled in the classroom. The class will create posters and flyers to distribute to the rest of the campus and the local community in an effort to make the service learning communal.
- Reflection: Upon completion of the project, students will be tasked with writing a one-page reflection on their experiences. In particular, students will be asked to focus on how they personally demonstrated heroism in participating in the service learning. In addition, students will reflect on the success of the project and determine improvements that can be made moving forward.
- Demonstration: Upon completion of the project, students will have created a video montage using iMovie. This video montage will be played through Valley High School's closed circuit television system. The video montage will also be given to local news sources so the efforts of the class are shown to the greater community.
Meeting Genuine Needs
In a school community that seems to lack heroes this service learning project addresses a genuine need for heroes. It allows students to investigate heroes that are very similar to them and teaches those students that they themselves can be heroes.
Youth Voice and Choice
Students will be given the opportunity to decide which service learning project they will be willing to partake in. The class as a whole will come to a common decision on which genuine need exists on the campus or in the community and will decide how to address that need.
Collaborative Efforts
Students will create posters and flyers that will be distributed around campus and to the local community. These posters and flyers will allow the service learning project to be not limited to just the class itself but the greater community.
Reciprocity
Students will provide one piece of the mutual exchange by showing to the greater community that the students of Valley High School are willing and able to give back to their local community. This will allow the community to be more willing to provide assistance and support for Valley High School. In return the use of a video montage will garner additional support from the community to Valley High School. In addition, the participation of both Valley High School students and community members will be a mutual exchange of ideas and skills.
Civic Responsibilities
Through this service learning project students will learn how they can actively participate in the community. The students will see first hand how much their efforts assist the campus and the community. In addition they will learn that they themselves can have a heroic impact on those around them.