Abstract:

Every year since 1996, the students, staff and families of Lore Elementary School have participated in "The Giving Project". This project was conceptualized by the school guidance counselor. The main goal of the project is to purchase holiday gifts for the children in foster care. The New Jersey Foster Parents' Association provides the guidance counselor with a list of children in foster care and their wishes for a holiday gift. During a specified time in November to early December, students donate money that they've saved or earned or even their ice cream money. Often it becomes a family affair when an entire family donates money to support this project.

The faculty and staff of Lore School are also very generous with monetary donations as well as the time and effort they spend on this project. At the inception of the Giving Project, the Lore School community raised about $3,000. Each year we have been surpassing the previous year's total until reaching our current amount of over $7,000 which included a $3,000 donation from GE Healthcare. GE Healthcare and the Stout's Bus Company aid Lore School in this school-wide project which in turn benefits the community.

Area 1: Goals:

One of the goals is to teach the students the importance of giving, empathy, and support for their local community. The Giving Project addresses many Core Curriculum Content Standards put forth by the New Jersey Department of Education. The goals of this project promote citizenship and character development in accordance to the Career Education and Consumer, Family, and Life Skills Standard 9.2.D., Character Development and Ethics.

In addition to the social goals, academic goals are involved as well. Students complete research on computers, compare prices, and make decisions on which toys to buy based on their information. These objectives are aligned by the Mathematics Standard 4.5, Mathematical Processes of Problem Solving, Communication, Connections, Reasoning, Representations, and Technology.

Students must use Toys 'R' Us catalogues to research toys and determine prices. This is a highly publicized event on television and in the newspaper. These skills relate to Language Arts Literacy Standard 3.1, Read a Variety of Materials and Tests and Standard 3.5 View, Evaluate, and Respond to Print and Electronics Resources. The academic skills taught during this unit are educationally sound as well as assist students to learn to have empathy for others, promote sharing and the importance of giving.

Area 2: Activities:

The New Jersey Foster Parents' Association provides Lore School guidance counselor with a list of children in foster care and their wishes for a holiday gift. Since 1996, every November, the Giving Project commences with a letter of announcement. Students are very generous; they donate money that they've saved or earned or even their ice cream money. Often it becomes a family affair when an entire family donates or raises money to support this project.

After a deadline is set for donations and all monies are counted, each class in school is then paired with a family or a group of children for whom they will purchase toys and gifts. After receiving the list of requested toys and gifts, under the guidance and supervision of the classroom teacher students use the Toys "R" Us catalogues and Internet sites to research the prices, brands and selections.

Once the research is completed and complied, fifty-four students are selected to go to Toys "R" Us to shop for the toys requested by children in foster care. These fifty-four students represent all of the classes at Lore School. The principal, vice principal, parents and volunteers from GE Healthcare ride the bus and escort the students to the Toys "R" Us store. They aid in the selection process and make sure all gifts are bought. The students take pride and ownership in making sure they purchase the exact toys the children in foster care requested.

The Stout Bus Company has been very generous over the years and has graciously donated the buses to take the students and volunteers to Toys "R" Us. Each year the Toys "R" Us store has given extra "freebies" to the Giving Project such as "Geoffrey Money," Beanie Babies, etc. These companies are major contributors of the Giving Project.

When the students and volunteers return to school with their purchases, these gifts are wrapped in K-5 Family Groups. The entire student body is divided into twenty-five family groups comprised of students from all grade levels from Kindergarten to fifth grade. Each Family Group has about twenty-three students. While in their Family Groups, older students work with the younger ones to decorate the paper, which will be used to wrap the holiday gifts. Volunteers from GE Healthcare also help the children in the Family Groups to decorate and wrap the presents.

After all toys are wrapped, the students bring them to a designated area. It is heart-warming to see the older students working together with the younger ones in Family Group and watching them as they beam with pride as they carry gifts to the designated area. After all gifts are delivered, students, teachers, parents, and volunteers assemble to view the display of over 200 gifts. This is a visual display of how generosity, cooperation and hard work help others in the community. It is a time when our students see the results of the Giving Project while demonstrating what it truly means to help others.

Later, the gifts are delivered to the New Jersey Foster Parents' Association for their annual holiday party where they will be distributed to the children in foster care. This Giving Project helps our students develop a real sense of community and empathy for others while enhancing various academic skills. This extension of skills and character development from the classroom, to the school, to the community remains a goal for Lore School.

Area 3: Outside Resources:

Each year the generosity of the community is unparalleled. Parents donate money and volunteer time to assist with the Giving Project. Also, corporate assistance is offered in several forms. The Stout Bus Company graciously donates buses to take students, administrators, teachers and volunteers to Toys "R" Us for the shopping trip each year. When they return the drivers assist students with unloading all of the toys from the bus.

GE Healthcare, a corporate sponsor donates money and allows employees to volunteer with shopping and wrapping gifts over a two-day span. Toys "R" Us donates "Geoffrey Money", free small toys, and snacks for the shoppers. This partnership allows the Giving Project to be one of the most rewarding activities for our students at Lore School.

Area 4: Evaluation:

The Giving Project was created to aid in student character development while assisting the community as well. Since 1997, the students have raised money to buy gifts for children in foster care. Initially, this project began with donations that totaled $2,750. With this amount we were able to purchase 110 gifts costing about $25 each. Each year, the donations increased with this year's amount over $7,000 being the largest total ever. This enabled the students to purchase over 300 gifts. Each year our goal is not to raise a certain amount of money, but it is to help more and more children and families each year. This year we were able to provide holiday gifts for all of the children served by the New Jersey Foster Parents' Association.

As one of our objectives all students are involved in the various aspects of the Giving Project. Students donate money and research information about the particular toys. Some are selected as shoppers. All students aid in decorating and wrapping gifts. The social part of the curriculum of teaching our students character, empathy, kindness and helping others is important, but helping and serving the families in New Jersey Foster Parents' Association is our main goal. This project is children helping other children.

Area 5: Stability:

The Giving Project is an integral part of the curriculum that teaches students important life skills. It has become an annual undertaking that demonstrates to our students one way to serve the community. The creator and chairperson is Mrs. Mary Reynolds, Lore School's counselor. She has been at Lore School for ten years. Each November, notices are sent home to parents announcing the beginning of the Giving Project. Students, families and staff generously donate to this worthwhile cause.

This project receives a lot of publicity from both television and newspaper media. Members of the staff and parents aid in recruiting corporate sponsors or donations from local businesses. Prior knowledge and previous participation in the project allows the Giving Project to create its own excitement and enthusiasm. This project is so rewarding that it has been continued each year since 1996 and plans are underway for next year's endeavor.

Area 6: Endorsements:

The Giving Project provides the students at Lore School the opportunity to put into practice our UNITY words, such as giving, kindness, considerate, help, support, care and others. With this project, they experience how rewarding it feels to give to someone else. The Giving Project is a unique activity because it allows the students to experience the entire giving process from beginning to end. They donate the money, search for the items on the internet, shop for the gifts, and wrap them in paper that they have designed. Students take ownership in the project, helping to build their self-esteem. It is an activity that allows all students of various ages and academic standing to participate. The Giving Project is an excellent example of unity. It provides a life long lesson which will be one of their best lifetime experiences.

Mrs. Michelle Conway, Vice Principal

Lessons in Giving

Once again, Princeton employees partnered with Lore Elementary School for the "Giving Project." This year, students at the school purchased over 400 gifts worth $6,000 raised by students and their families including a $3,000 donation from GE Healthcare. The project guarantees presents for over 130 Mercer County children in foster care.

Teachers from Lore Elementary work with their classes, ranging from kindergarten to fifth grade, to identify appropriate gifts for their assigned children in foster care, whose names and ages are supplied by N.J. Foster Parents Association. Then, several dozen students comprised of one or two representatives from each class, are chaperoned by teachers, parents, and GE Healthcare employees around Toys "R" Us in Lawrenceville to look for and purchase the gifts. The presents are transported in a large truck back to the school where, the following day, everyone involved takes part in gift-wrapping duty with child-made paper.

"GE Healthcare's support with this project has meant a great deal to us," explained Mary Reynolds, the counselor at Lore Elementary School. "We can reach more children, have more fun, and feel that we have made a greater impact on the world." The Giving Project functions as part of the school's award-winning Unity Program, which makes personal values and behaviors part of the curriculum. The project, which garnered publicity in the local TV news stations, helps the students develop a sense of community and empathy for others who are less fortunate.

Excerpt from the GE Healthcare Newsletter

The Giving Project has remained basically unchanged since 1996. It operates on the same principles and sets forth the same goals, providing holiday gifts for children in foster care. It has grown in terms of the amount of money that is donated, the number of students, staff, parents and volunteers who go shopping and participate, and the number of gifts that are given has increased over the years. It is wonderful to be a part of a project that is so "magical". It inspires the students! Whenever they come to school in September, they always ask "when are we doing the Giving project?" because many have already begun saving money that they will donate. I am sure it warms the hearts of the children who receive the gifts, filling them with holiday joy. Not only does this activity inspire children, it also inspires adults as well. Adults also share in the "magic" by donating money, buses or by giving time as a volunteer. One small project enriches so many lives.

Mrs. Ernestine Austin, Facilitating Teacher-Volunteer-Shopper

We at Stout's believe in the Giving Project. It's a wonderful idea to have children helping children in the same community. This is why we donate a bus each year to the project so the students can go to Toys "R" Us and purchase gifts for the children in foster care. We are proud to be a part of this project.

Tim Stout, Vice President of the Stout's Bus Company