The Winooski Beautification Project

by Lisa Goetz and her 3rd Grade Class

John F. Kennedy Elementary School
Winooski, Vermont 

 "I feel glad to give back to the community."  "I had fun planting flowers at The Ronald McDonald House and the Winooski Community Center.  It was important because when I grow up there will be lots of flowers in our world."  "I learned about taking care of plants.  It's like your family.  You have to water them and take care of them so they will grow."

These are the beautiful words spoken by 3rd graders who had just completed their first service learning project.  It all began with the children making homemade soup at school and bringing it to the Ronald McDonald House in Burlington, Vermont. While we were there, we told them that this was the first of many service learning projects we hoped to accomplish this year.  The woman running the Ronald McDonald House handed us an application for a grant from the Ronald McDonald House Charities because she wanted to help us!  Thus began our adventures which took our learning in a whole new direction.

We received a very generous grant which provided us the opportunity to do "The Winooski Beautification Project."  The best part of this project was that it empowered the children with the realization that they can make a positive difference and contribution to their community. We learned the importance of civic engagement through service learning and learned to work together as a team as we planted flowers, bushes, trees, and bulbs throughout the community of

Winooski.  This was a practical application of science lessons we had learned in school about seeds, bulbs, composting, and taking care of our earth by reducing, reusing, and recycling.  The children also learned brainstorming techniques by thinking of ways we could make their town more beautiful.  They also met and worked with many people from the community such as the mayor, local business owners, people from parks and recreation, and many community members.  All these people helped us achieve our dream and we hope that the important lessons the children learned about giving back will stay with them forever!

Here is one more quote from a 3rd grader after completing our project:  "If you happen to come to Winooski, you should check out our garden!"

MATERIALS USE POLICY: All of the articles and material appearing here remain the property of Community Works and/or the author. They may be copied and distributed—with permission, in their original form only. Proper credit must be clearly given. They may be used for not- for-profit purposes only. Copyright © 2000-2009, all rights reserved