Growing a Love of Learning through Leadership

Tuesday, January 03, 2017 - Hiba Sukhera

Hi, my name is Hiba and I am currently a senior at Pensacola High School. My service project is to get the message of teen service out to the community through blog posts. I hope to encourage teens to join projects at CR and help the community see the impact of teen service.

            Teenagers know that one important skill in life is reading. Reading allows for people to become more knowledgeable and helps kids excel at core subjects in school. Third grade is a good time for kids to start developing the love for learning. If a child cannot read proficiently in elementary school, then they have a higher chance of struggling in core subjects. Teens at Chain Reaction participate in a project called Leadership in Learning (LIL) which helps third grade students at C.A. Weis Elementary grow their love of learning. Leadership in Learning is a great project for teens who love being creative and have a passion for learning.

            The purpose of this project is to make learning fun for third graders. The project creates a packet with a Magic Treehouse Book and a project centered on that specific book. The packet contains a Magic Treehouse book and a “super sheet” which connects with the specific book. The super sheet is a color by number sheet which helps kids with their multiplication tables; this sheet creates a picture such as a volcano for Vacation Under the Volcano book.

Once the child receives the packet, they have certain goals to meet. Over the weeks after they have completed a task, the teachers give them the prizes along the way to motivate them. One of these is a quiet critter, a round small and soft fuzzball with googly eyes and fuzzy feet helps kids to stay quiet and enjoy reading. They also receive bookmarks which are popsicle sticks that are hand-painted with fun designs such as superheroes like Batman and Spiderman. These little prizes help encourage the kids by making learning more engaging, and giving them something to look forward to.

            There are two interns for this project. The interns plan the details project for the following weeks, and create the plan on how to reach the goals of the project. One of the interns, Cary said that her favorite thing about LIL is, “The idea that this project aspires to encourage children to love learning.” This project is something fun for teens that want to help other kids learn!

            If you are interested in making little fuzzballs and painting popsicle sticks to help a student learn, join Leadership in Learning. This project encourages a love for learning for not only kids, but the teens as well. The love of learning helps us later in life, not just in school. LIL makes sure that kids can enjoy reading and review their skills. Service can be fun while you make an impact beyond yourself. Join CR to discover the rest of their fall projects!