6th Grade Service Learning - Learn About Phase 1

Late January/early February is an emotional and thrilling time for our 6th Grade students as they prepare for the next step in their educational journeys. Secondary school applications are now complete, and students have been interviewing, taking tours, and participating in “shadow days,” when they are welcomed to campus by an upper grade student, often also a Carlthorp School Alum.
Now that the exmissions process is well underway, a large part of the 6th Grade experience is Service Learning. This is a teaching and learning strategy that integrates meaningful community service with instruction and reflection to enrich the educational experience, teach civic responsibility, and strengthen communities.
The Service Learning program is a partnership between KidUnity (run by two Carlthorp School parents, Peter Sheehy and David Snow), four Carlthorp School Alumni Fellows, and the 6th Grade teachers. The program is broken down into three distinct phases and the 6th Grade is currently in the middle of Phase 1.

Phase 1: Preparation for the Washington, D.C., trip in March, including the formation of policy groups and conducting research surrounding a social issue. The policy topics are:
  • Plastic Pollution
  • Clean Drinking Water
  • Marine Life Preservation
  • Deforestation
  • Girls’ Education in Afghanistan
  • Local Public Education
  • Hunger in Haiti
Phase 2: Travel to Washington, D.C., where students advocate for change with senators, representatives and other influential policy makers.
  
Phase 3: Reflect on the Washington, D.C., experience.    
 
This year, students are focused on exploring policy issues through the lens of journalism. Thus far, students have interviewed and written mini profiles on the four Alumni Fellows (Lily Serber ‘14, Hayden Hill ‘14, Michael Lehrhoff ‘14, and Anita Anand ‘13), written press releases, and held a press conference announcing their policy teams and their goals while in D.C.
 
To learn more about our Alumni Fellows and to read the press releases from our policy groups, click here.
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