Service Learning Academy

9-11 Anniversary

2011-12-06T17:01:00.000-08:00

September 2011

The service learning students commemorated the Tenth Anniversary of 9-11 by inviting all Timber Creek High School students to write letters to soldiers to thank them for their service. Students from Mrs. Wood's Avalon Middle School classes joined us in the letter writing campaign.

Service Learning Academy students set up a booth in the courtyard. They also invited faculty and students to write messages of peace in chalk in the courtyard.

TCHS Homecoming Parade

2011-12-05T16:53:00.000-08:00

October 2011

The TCHS Homecoming was held at Dinoland at Disney's Animal Kingdom this year, so naturally the Homecoming Parade had a timeless theme. The Service Learning Council and Service Learning Academy students dressed as cavemen for the parade and carried Ice-Age themed signs to promote Service Learning in a fun way:

COMPACT Banquet

2011-12-05T16:29:00.000-08:00

September 2011

At the COMPACT Banquet

Members of the TCHS Service Learning Academy who were Washington, DC Trip winners were honored at the annual COMPACT Banquet at the Rosen Hotel.

Students visited the White House, U.S. Congress and Senator Nelson's office; national monuments, the Arlington Cemetery, Bolling Air Force Base, the Ford Theater, Mount Vernon, and the Supreme Court. The students meet annually with Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. This year we also were able to meet Supreme Court Justice Sotomayor.

TCHS service learning students with Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas

FDR Monument

WWII Monument Brianna and Courtney

Chaperons with Supreme Court Justices Sotomayor and Thomas

A Month of Peace

2011-12-05T15:19:00.000-08:00

September 2011

The Service Learning Academy promoted tolerance and conflict resolution by participating in and sponsoring an entire month of peace activities during September. Students participated with our partner, the Global Peace Film Festival, in the week-long film festival events serving as volunteers, attending films and manning a booth at the GPFF Street Fair.

Council students at the GPFF Streeet Fair

SL Council student, Lee entertained fair goers with his stilt walking.
(Mrs. D's granddaughter)

Peace Art Exhibit at City Hall
The Sixth Annual OCPS Service Learning and Global Peace Film Festival Peace Art exhibit at Orlando City Hall was a huge success. Service Learning Council students helped with all aspects of the exhibit including preparing and logging the artwork, making the certificates, helping at the reception, and taking down the exhibit.

Hundreds of students from Kindergarten through 12th grade submitted art with the theme, "Color the World with Peace." The art reception was attended by hundreds of student artists, parents, administrators, GPFF volunteers and board members. Special guests were Ms. Earth Florida, Ms. Earth USA and Orlando Commissioner Patty Sheehan.

Nina Streich, Executive Director of the Global Peace Film Festival, presented the awards to students in four categories: K-2, 3-5, 6-8, and 9-12. The winning art will be featured in the 2012 OCPS-GPFF Peace Art Calendar used to promote peace and to recognize the talent of our OCPS artists.

Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer, proclaimed the week of September 18th to the 23rd as Peace Week in Orlando.

Ms. Teen Earth Florida, Commissioner Patty Sheehan and Ms. Earth USA

A winning artist shows off her painting.

A winning entry in the high school category.

Enzian Field Trip
For the fifth year the TCHS Service Learning Academy partnered with the Global Peace Film Festival to attend the viewing of a film at the Enzian Theater. The film focused on the issue of homelessness, which service learning students will address through various service learning projects throughout the year.

Before viewing the film, the service learning students spent a month studying homelessness and poverty in Central Florida, in particular the criminalization of homelessness in our state. We learned a sad statistic that Orlando is rated the third meanest city in the USA as far as treatment of the homeless. We also studied some causes of homelessness and some ways to help. SL students sponsored a food drive for our school's food bank. There are homeless students in our school and throughout Central Florida, including in Seminole and Orange Counties as was featured on 60 Minutes.

Over 150 SLA students watched the movie Civil Indigent and then participated in an interactive session with the film's subject, Pat Fitzpatrick. The movie was about Mr. Fitzpatrick's effort to defend the homeless in Gainesville, Florida. This film was great and Mr. Fitzpatrick was incredibly inspiring. We got to go on stage with him after the program to pose for a photograph.

At the Enzian Theater

UN International Day of Peace

The SLA students prepared all month for the UN International Day of Peace, which featured games that stressed teamwork; booths; face painting; music and dance; and the annual Peace T-shirt Contest. This year over 100 TCHS students entered the contest with entries that showed a great deal of thought and talent.

The day ended with a film. TCHS students were treated to a GPFF film by University of Central Florida student Aleksey Siman. Food for Granted, is a documentary about wasting food and the excess amounts of food prepared in restaurants, buffets and convention centers. Every day across America the food industry tosses away tons of good, unused food, while one in five people across the nation go hungry. In the short film, Aleksey explored the food waste in Central Florida. This was an eye-opening film with a valuable lesson.

THANK YOU TO OUR VALUED PARTNERS FOR MAKING THIS OUR BEST PEACE MONTH EVER: The Global Peace Film Festival; Nina Streich, Executive Director GPFF; the Enzian Theater; The Orlando City Hall; Orlando Mayor's Office; Ms. Earth USA, Nicole Kelley; Ms. Teen Earth, Cadie Hill; Commissioner Patty Sheehan; Aleksey Siman; Pat Fitzpatrick; and our parents, especially Mr. Zelayda for his help at the Street Fair.

Raleigh the face painter.

Some of the t-shirts

Mr. Wright judges the T-shirt contest.

At a booth

Mr. Doromal invited students to sing along.

Filmmaker Aleksy Siman

Year-End Celebration and Banquet

2011-08-25T17:50:00.000-07:00

May 21, 2011

Service Learning Council students spent a fun-packed day at Universal Orlando thanks to our partner, COMPACT's George Fuller who donated tickets for academy students, teachers and a parent chaperone. Exploring the Wizarding World of Harry Potter and riding roller coasters was a blast!

At noon students took a break from the theme parks to attend the annual awards banquet at the Hard Rock Cafe. This year it was held in the Elvis Presley Library and Terrace where musician Boboy Doromal performed for the students. Students received recognition for their service learning work, enjoyed the music and lunch.

Hard Rock's Joey Mazzant, the memorabilia docent surprised the students with a private tour of the Beatles' collection, the VIP Room and the attic. Students saw John Lennon's piano, a bike from the Yellow Submarine and other treasures that are hidden behind locked doors. Students also got to go on top of the Hard Rock balcony before heading back to the parks. Truly a rocking year-end celebration for service learning council students!

Some arriving students posed with teacher, David Gardner

Kelsee and Emilee inside the candy shop

Ron Weasley's car honks and the headlights flash

Hogwart's offer surprises inside

Shell fountain

Chocolate frogs

Every flavor jelly bean (Don't get vomit or dirt! Yuck)

Sirius Black

Get a wand and see a show in Ollivander's Wand Shop.

No dress code today!

Hagrid's cottage

Earth Day Celebration 2011

2011-04-30T11:26:00.001-07:00

April 2011

"The ultimate test of man's conscience may be his willingness to sacrifice something today for future generations whose words of thanks will not be heard."
— Gaylord Nelson former governor of Wisconsin, co-founder of Earth Day

Weeks of study, research and preparation resulted in a successful Earth Day Celebration at TCHS! The Service Learning Council and Service Learning Academy science students hosted the Arbor Ridge School's second grade class of Mrs. Cheryl BeMent. Who knew second graders were so smart!?

Mr. Gardner's science students presented a fun, educational and interactive workshop on endangered species. During the workshop, the students colored their vision of an environmentally balanced earth. They also got the chance to see some of the reptiles and amphibians from our wetlands including a corn snake and an invasive and unwelcome (but cute) frog called the Cuban tree frog.

Students took the younger students on a tour of our school's protected wetlands. Service learning science students are tracking reptiles and amphibians in the wetlands and writing about the impact of the Avalon Park development on the species.

Other service learning students led Earth Day activities and exhibits in the school's courtyard focused on the importance of recycling. Students sold bracelets made from recycled magazines, wallets and purses made from Capri Sun pouches and paper maché animals.

The Arbor Ridge students participated in activities after lunch. They colored their own canvas shopping bags, made necklaces made from recycled beads, and created caterpillars from egg cartons.

The agriculture classes and Garden for Change sponsored a rain barrel workshop after school!

MAKE EVERY DAY EARTH DAY!

Advocating for Service Learning

2011-04-30T11:26:00.000-07:00

April 2011

Since September 2010, academy students have been calling and writing to elected officials to ask them to support funding for service learning in the federal budget. We sent hundreds of letters to President Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama, Senator Marco Rubio, Senator Bill Nelson and members of the House of Representatives appealing for them to support Learn and Serve America Program funding under the Corporation for National and Community Service. Over one million students perform service under the national Learn and Serve America Program.

The Service Learning Academy is funded by Learn and Serve funds. Without the funds, we will spend more time fund raising then we do serving. We will have no funds to pay for buses, substitute, materials and supplies, books, postage, printing and other needs to keep the academy running.

While we received responses to our letters, unfortunately the budget for Learn and Serve America Program was cut.

The Service Learning Council has been working on a grant and will be spend the months of May and June researching and writing grants, asking local organizations and partners to consider contributing to our program, and trying to identify funding sources.

If you would like to contribute to the TCHS Service Learning Academy, please send your donation to:

Service Learning Academy
Timber Creek High School
1001 Avalon Park Blvd.
Orlando, FL 32812

On the same day that we learned that we would have no funding next year, we received a response from First Lady Michelle Obama. See some of our letters from Senators and the First Lady below:

What's for Lunch?

2011-04-30T10:38:00.000-07:00

April 2011

About 150 students from the Service Learning Academy attended a screening of the film, Lunch, at the Enzian Theater. The Global Peace Film Festival provided the film for our annual Earth Day film event.

The film was eye-opening. We don't always think about what we eat and whether our food choices are healthy or junk food. Most food served in our schools is unhealthy - high in calories and low in nutrition. Childhood obesity is increasing and it's easy to see why.

Guest speakers, a UCF professor and radio talk show host discuss nutrition,
organic gardening and aspects of the film, Lunch

Students discuss Lunch with panelists.

The service learning classes took a look at nutrition labels and also investigated the nutritional content of fast foods from a variety of popular fast food restaurants. Definitely an educational campaign is in order!

Next year the academy students will be launching a get healthy campaign at TCHS. It will include promoting healthy choices at lunch and other meals; outlining the requirements for a basic exercise program, providing physical games in the courtyard; supporting the Garden for Change; and working with partners to promote healthy choices.

Why wait for us to start getting healthy? Go to First Lady Michelle Obama's website, Let's Move to get started now!

César Chávez Day of Service: Sí se puede!

2011-04-30T10:10:00.000-07:00

April 2011

“We cannot seek achievement for ourselves and forget about progress and prosperity for our community... Our ambitions must be broad enough to include the aspirations and needs of others, for their sakes and for our own.” César Chávez

César Chávez Day of Service is celebrated on March 31st, which is the birthday of César Chávez.

César Chávez devoted his adult life to work for social justice. He was one of the most respected civil rights leaders of the 20th century working tirelessly for fair wages and better working conditions for farm workers and civil rights for every American. He inspired a nation to awaken to promote economic, political, environmental and social justice.

César Chávez Day of Service is a state holiday in 11 states including California, Arizona, Colorado, Texas, Utah, Michigan, Illinois, New Mexico, Wisconsin, Rhode Island and Nevada. Rep. Joe Baca (D-CA) introduced HR 213 in the House of Representatives with 43 co-sponsors. The proposed legislation would establish a legal, public holiday for Cesar Chavez. Please join us in signing the petition to establish César Chávez Day as a national holiday here.

Senator Robert F. Kennedy with Cesar Chávez and his wife, Helen Chávez after he broke his fast in 1968 at a mass attended by 8,000 people

An America Hero
César Estrada Chávez was the son of Mexican-American parents and was born in March 31, 1927 in Yuma, Arizona. During the Great Depression his family lost their farm and moved to California where they became migrant farm workers. When he was 15 years old he began working in the fields picking lettuce and beets to help support his family.

In 1952 he joined the Community Service Organization (CSO), a civil rights organization which fought for racial and economic equality. Ten years later he and Dolores Huerta co-founded the National Farm Workers Association (NFWA), which later became the United Farm Workers (UFW). César Chávez worked for decades for political, civil, and social rights for foreign born laborers and migrant workers who toiled on American soil, and for social justice and equality for every person.

In 1965 César Chávez threw his support behind Filipino-American farm workers who had organized the Delano grape strike to protest for higher wages. He led the grape pickers in a strike and march and called upon the nation to boycott grapes. That successful boycott lasted five years, with 17 million adult Americans participating in it. It was hailed as the first of many labor victories for the farm workers. In 1970 César Chávez led a boycott against California lettuce growers, and over 10,000 farm workers went on strike. He was jailed for 14 days refusing to stop the boycott.

César Chávez was also an environmentalist who fought for regulations of pesticides that were used in the fields causing illness and death to farm workers.

Chávez was a human rights and civil rights activist. He followed the teaching of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Mahatma Gandhi, pushing the cause through boycotts, peaceful marches, demonstrations, and fasts. He fasted in 1968, 1972 and 1988 to put a spotlight on "La Causa" and to protest the use of dangerous pesticides.

On April 23, 1993, César Chávez died in his sleep in Arizona, very close to the place he was born. Over 50,000 people attended his funeral in Delano, California where the cause was born.

An estimated 50,000 mourners walked in Cesar Chavez's funeral procession

In 1993, The César E. Chávez Foundation was established by members of César Chávez's family and officers of the United Farm Workers to promote his legacy, and to encourage all people to carry on his work for social justice in the world.

President Barack Obama issued a Presidential Proclamation to Honor César Chávez:

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release March 30, 2011

Presidential Proclamation--Cesar Chavez Day

A PROCLAMATION

Our Nation's story of progress is rich with profound struggle and great sacrifice, marked by the selfless acts and fearless leadership of remarkable Americans. A true champion for justice, Cesar Chavez advocated for and won many of the rights and benefits we now enjoy, and his spirit lives on in the hands and hearts of working women and men today. As we celebrate the anniversary of his birth, we honor Cesar Chavez's lasting victories for American workers and his noble methods in achieving them.

Raised in the fields of Arizona and California, Cesar Chavez faced hardship and injustice from a young age. At the time, farm workers toiled in the shadows of society, vulnerable to abuse and exploitation. Families like Chavez's were impoverished; exposed to hazardous working conditions and dangerous pesticides; and often denied clean drinking water, toilets, and other basic necessities.

Cesar Chavez saw the need for change and made a courageous choice to work to improve the lives of his fellow farm workers. Through boycotts and fasts, he led others on a path of nonviolence conceived in careful study of the teachings of St. Francis of Assisi and Mahatma Gandhi, and in the powerful example of Martin Luther King, Jr. He became a community organizer and began his lifelong advocacy to protect and empower people. With quiet leadership and a powerful voice, Cesar founded the United Farm Workers (UFW) with Dolores Huerta, launching one of our Nation's most inspiring social movements.

Cesar Chavez's legacy provides lessons from which all Americans can learn. One person can change the course of a nation and improve the lives of countless individuals. Cesar once said, "Non-violence is not inaction. . . . Non-violence is hard work. It is the willingness to sacrifice. It is the patience to win." From his inspiring accomplishments, we have learned that social justice takes action, selflessness, and commitment. As we face the challenges of our day, let us do so with the hope and determination of Cesar Chavez, echoing the words that were his rallying cry and that continue to inspire so many today, "Sí, se puede" – "Yes, we can."

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim March 31 of each year as Cesar Chavez Day.

I call upon all Americans to observe this day with appropriate service, community, and educational programs to honor Cesar Chavez's enduring legacy.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this thirtieth day of March, in the year of our Lord two thousand eleven, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-fifth.

BARACK OBAMA

SLA Honors the Legacy of César Chávez by Serving

This March almost 200 students in the Service Learning Academy earned over 600 service learning hours performing service with non-profits and creating their own high quality service projects to honor the legacy of this great labor and human rights activist.

Some of the ways students served included tutoring peers and younger students; teaching English to immigrants; cleaning the beach; making blankets for Arnold Palmer Hospital; helping out at little league; teaching children how to swim, performing at retirement homes, and volunteering with children at schools. Students also worked at the Florida Hospital, Winter Park Art Festival, the American Cancer Society, the Children's Miracle Network, the Outreach Center, Bithlo Community Center, Latino Leadership, Lotsa Love Pet Rescue, the Rotary Club at Avalon Park, Stoney Brook tennis courts, Hands on Orlando, A Gift for Teaching, and at churches, temples and mosques.

The academy students also conducted a collection of needed supplies for the Hope Community Center. The center has served migrant farm workers and their families for over 40 years.

The HCC sent us a “wish list” with items for the children of the migrant farm workers. Each service learning student and teacher donated a minimum of 3 items from the wish list. Two truckloads of donations were delivered to the HCC in early April.

If you want to support the farm workers please donate the following items from the HCC wish list. You can bring them to the center in Apopka or leave them in the service learning classroom, Room 631.

•Board games for children
•Cupcake pan
•Binoculars
•Tents
•Sleeping bags
•Blow-up mattresses
•Roll-up mats for young children
•Granola bars (box)
•Office Supplies: copy paper (ream) , pens (box), pencils (box), erasers ( box), dry erase markers (box), compasses, folders (box), card stock (ream), envelopes (box), staples (box), paper clips (box), and poster boards (package).
•Paper products: packages of plates, cups, plastic wear, cups for hot and cold.
•Food Gift cards; Gas Gift cards
•Sets of books to use with the book club, Novels for young adult readers, 12 to 15 copies of maybe four or five different books.
•Arts and Craft Kits
•Educational games for after school tutoring: Math 24, scrabble for youngsters, two-sided counters, scientific calculators, and low level high interest books for youth. Fisher Price toys for young children.
•GED books in Espanol; English/Spanish Dictionaries

Garden For Change

2011-04-30T03:21:00.000-07:00

By Estaban Cajigas

As the nationally syndicated television show, 60 Minutes pointed out in a March 6, 2011 segment of the show, there are hundreds of children in Central Florida who are homeless. The recession has hit Florida especially hard and it is creating a social crisis. Thousands of people have lost their jobs and their homes to the financial crisis. Nationwide 25 percent of children live below the poverty level and the statistics are higher in Orange County and nearby Seminole County. Florida unemployment rate is about 11 percent. More children are being affected. We have more than 3,000 homeless children among us in our schools. Let's support and help them!

The need of homeless and hunger is being addressed this year and will expand next year through year-long service learning projects. This year the Service Learning Academy social studies classes established a food bank. Students can visit the bank to get food for their family. Donations can be made any day at Mr. Robinson's room and food drives will be conducted regularly to stock the bank.
School supplies can be picked up at the Service Learning room 631. The Closet, where students can get clothes, is located in the clinic in the front office.

Get Your Hands Dirty and Help!
All of us can help. Some service learning students have stepped up by starting an organic garden. As an organic garden on the Timber Creek High School campus, we have a very simple objective. We focus on bringing people together with the common interests of helping others, gardening, and more. After bringing our community together our goal is to achieve sustainable agriculture in the benefit for those in need. We are interested in people who want to make a difference and step up to help the community. The Garden is currently growing cucumbers, corn, peppers, okra, beans, tomatoes, and onions.

No experience is required. The way in which we are organized is by an inner circle outer circle format. Any member can sign up for any of the two. The inner most circle is that of the Care Takers. It is these members who are expected to attend meetings and invest the most time on the garden. We do not have administrators, all Care Takers are equal in responsibility. Care Takers are allowed to create committees to over see different goals of the garden.

The outer circle are Farmers. These are people who are part of our organization but are not devoting all their time for the garden. An example of a Farmer is anybody who needs community service hours and contributes a few hours every other month.

Agriculture, science and service learning teachers and classes are joining other TCHS clubs and donors to support the garden financially until we can get a grant to expand it net year. Yvonne Best a friend of Mrs. Doromal who heads a community garden in California donated hundreds of packets of seeds!

Garden for Change supported the Service Learning Academy in commemorating Cesar Chavez Day of Service by supporting those who put food on our table -the Central Florida farm workers.

Join the Service Learning Academy if you are interested in working on projects next year that address the issue of homelessness and poverty! Look for news on the Sock Hop to be held to raise money for our partner, the Health Care Center for the Homeless.

Hiding in the Spotlight

2011-02-01T01:15:00.000-08:00

January 28, 2011

"I don't care what you do --just live." Dmitri Arshansky

Zhanna Arshansky Dawson

United Nations Holocaust Remembrance Day has been held on January 27th every year since 2005 as a day to honor the memory of 6 million Jews and countless others who died by the hands of the Nazis in World War II.

At TCHS in Orlando, we commemorated the day by hosting an extraordinary Holocaust survivor and three members of her remarkable family. The goal was to teach the lessons of the Holocaust, and to inspire students to dedicate themselves to promoting tolerance.

This touching Holocaust story has moved everyone who has heard it. It has inspired many to reflect on how they can use their lives to make a difference in their community and in the world.

Last September service learning students attended a screening and panel discussion on a Global Peace Film Festival film, Hiding in the Spotlight. The film is a short documentary created by Candy Dawson. The students were deeply moved and inspired by the message of the film and the hero's qualities of perseverance, courage, and strength that she exhibited when faced with horrible hardships.

The film is based on the book, Hiding in the Spotlight, that was written by Candy's husband, Greg Dawson, a columnist with the Orlando Sentinel. The film and book tell the incredible story of Greg's mother, Zhanna Arshansky Dawson. She was a young Jewish musical prodigy in the Ukraine who escaped death during the Holocaust by playing the piano.

In 1941, Zhanna's family was taken from their home in Berdyansk, Ukraine by Nazis and put in a death march alongside thousands of others who were to be executed and thrown in the ravines Drobitsky Yar. Her father bribed a young German guard with a gold pocket watch, begging him to turn his eyes to let Zhanna go. His last words to his daughter were, "I don't care what you have to do -just live."

Zhanna escaped the march into the icy forest and found her way back to her village. After a series of miracles, she was placed in an orphanage with her sister, Frina who had also escaped. To this day Frina has told no one, not even her sister, how she got away. The two sisters were given new Christian names and identities, including new birth dates.

A piano tuner heard Zhanna playing piano, and was stunned by her talent. Soon Zhanna and Frina were performing for Nazi troops, entertaining soldiers and officers with the music of Chopin, Brahms and other composers. The two Jewish sisters were "hiding in the spotlight."

After the war, Zhanna and Frina were put in a refuge camp. The American camp administrator sponsored their move to the United States and he helped the girls win scholarships to Julliard. Zhanna married Larry Dawson, the refuge camp's brother, who was also an accomplished musician. Both woman had successful musical careers.

Another remarkable aspect of this story is the fact that Zhanna's two sons did not learn of her story until they were adults. They knew that their mother was Russian and came to America after the war. But it wasn't until Aimee Dawson interviewed her grandmother, Zhanna as part of a high school history assignment that the family learned the story. Zhanna wanted to spare her children from hearing the terrible story while they were young, wanting them to have a trama-free childhood, unlike her own. The word Holocaust was not even mentioned in the Dawson home.

Summarizing this story does not do it justice. You must read the eloquently written book, Hiding in the Spotlight, to get all of the details of this story. (You can order it here.)

A full length documentary film, Sharing the Spotlight is being produced to tell the story of Zhanna and the influence it has had on students and others. Service Learning students were filmed yesterday to be part of the documentary. All of them have read the book (most more than once, because they love it so much). While they were excited to be part of the film, they were much more excited to be able to meet their inspirational hero, Zhanna, and to have the opportunity to interact with the Dawson family.

Over 800 students and faculty members, about one quarter of the high school's total student body of 3,200, attended a presentation in the school auditorium where Candy Dawson's beautifully filmed documentary was presented. Then the four Dawsons - Zhanna, Greg, Candy and Aimee held a panel discussion and took questions from students. Every member of this family is exceptional as individuals, but together they are intensely uplifting and enlightening. The family received standing ovations when they walked on stage and when the presentation ended.

Dozens of students, who usually leave the campus when the last bell rings, stayed in the auditorium and ran on the stage to greet Zhanna and the family. It must have been an exhausting day for her, but Zhanna graciously embraced and spoke to each and every child, listened to their remarks, accepted their praise, and responded to their own stories for almost two hours after the program ended. As one student remarked, "This is United Nations Holocaust Remembrance Day and of all the schools in our country, we were blessed to have the Dawsons visit. I will never forget this day!"

Visit the Hiding in the Spotlight website to hear Zhanna play the piano, see photos, and learn more.

Aimee and Zhanna Dawson on stage after the presentation.

Fourth year service learning student, Chelsea fields questions from the audience for the Dawsons.

Film crew in our classroom filming service learning students for the documentary, Sharing in the Spotlight.

Greg and Candy Dawson

Zhanna and Greg Dawson with some Service Learning Council students

Greg Dawson signing a book.

Students speak to Zhanna and the Dawsons on stage after the program.

A Day to Pay Tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

2011-01-16T14:51:00.000-08:00

January 17, 2010

“Life's most persistent and urgent question is, 'What are you doing for others?'”
Martin Luther King, Jr.

Today students from the TCHS Service Learning Academy will join tens of thousands of citizens across the nation to serve their communities in soup kitchens, animal shelters, environmental projects, assisting senior citizens, in renovation projects and in numerous other ways.

We invite you to join serving on Martin Luther King Day of Service!

An inspirational video from the Corporation of National Service:

Intergenerational Service: RSVP's Santa Workshop

2011-01-16T14:50:00.000-08:00

December 2010

Head Start students with Service Learning Council students

The Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) sponsors a yearly service activity for the community's Head Start children that is filled with joy and giving. All year the retired seniors make and collect hundreds of gifts for the Head Start students to give to their family members for the holidays.

The center is transformed to a magical holiday workshop. There are tables loaded with handmade and donated merchandise so the young students can "shop" for family presents. They also get to pick out one gift for themselves.

The Service Learning Council students served for two days at the RSVP Center's Santa Workshop in Orlando. They greeted the students, served juice, assisted them in "shopping" for their family's presents, read with them, and entertained them by face painting and leading them in dance steps.

The seniors have a wonderful band and performed both days. Mickey Mouse came to greet the students and seniors making it even more special and exciting for the students.

This event gave the Head Start students the opportunity to have gifts under their family's Christmas trees, something that could not have happened without the wonderful event.

Senior band

Happy kids with Chelsea

Jose with students

Posing with Santa

Dancing!

Kristy helping to wrap gifts.

Spencer read to students.

RSVP members

Migrant Farm Worker Ministry

2011-01-16T13:43:00.000-08:00

December 2010

Supplies for the Hope Community Center

The Service Learning Council sponsored an academy-wide drive to collect food, clothing and hygiene products for the Hope Community Center, farmworkers' ministry. Over 2,000 items were collected and delivered to Apopka on the day before the winter break, and just in time to distribute to the farmworkers' families before the holidays!

We completed the book, The Human Cost of Food, and finalized our service learning project with the Apopka farmworker community in November. In February we will be gleaning fields with the farmworkers We will also be taking oral histories of the farmworkers and publishing their stories to bring awareness to issues impacting the farmworkers and their families.

The Americorps Vistas discussed the needs of the farmworkers as well as their great contributions to our community.

Loading the bus

Carrying boxes

At the Hope Community Center

Green Holiday - Reuse and Recycle!

2011-01-16T12:42:00.000-08:00

December 2010

For the third year, academy students sponsored Green Holiday on the TCHS campus to raise awareness on the importance of recycling. This year the temperature was a very cold 37 degrees outside so the crowds of students were thin, but still enthusiastic.

Students demonstrated how to make ornaments, wrapping paper and holiday decorations from Styrofoam plates, water bottles, cans, and recycled plastic shopping bags. Teachers and students were surprised to learn what materials were used to create the decorations. Everyone got to take home the ornaments that they learned how to make. One lucky student got to take home the tree!

Over 100 students made decorations and ornaments for the annual contest. Prizes were awarded for the top five decorations made from recycled materials. Estella's recycled shopping bag wreath won top prize.

During the lunches, American Sign Language students signed holiday songs, attracting more students and teachers to the exhibits and tables.

Service learning students also hosted Liz Caloway from Paper Retriever, a program to recycle paper and earn money for our school. Students are collecting paper from classrooms and school offices, and are also asking parents to bring their used newspapers, phone books magazines and other paper products to dump in the paper retriever. When the bin gets full, Paper Retriever empties it, weighs it and pays us by the ton. A marketing campaign to encourage students, teachers and parents to recycle their paper kicked off on Green Holiday and will continue until Earth Day.

Kelsee, Molly and Kristy with Ms. Caloway from Paper Retriever

Making ornaments

Wreath made from plastic shopping bags

Mollie was freeeezzzzing!

Smiling, but cold!

Recycled ornament from CDs, Styrofoam, cans, plastic bottles and more!

American Sign language students caroling

Judging the recycled decorations.

Promoting the Drug-Free Message

2010-11-16T08:54:00.000-08:00

October 2010

Grim reaper and Ghost Out morticians at Celebrity Cemetery

A total of 150 academy students in core service learning classes participated in the Red Ribbon Week activities held during the last week of October! The project focused on raising awareness about the dangers of drug and alcohol use. Students prepared bulletin boards and public service announcements for the WOLF Television.

Drug Prevention Month bulletin board

Service learning classes were trained about the dangers of gateway drugs -alcohol, marijuana, tobacco, prescription drugs, and inhalants by the Army National Guard's drug prevention trainer, PFC Egipiaco. Also, on Monday the student body wore red to remember the message to stay drug-free.

Drug-free training

On Tuesday selected students went to Lake Eola with our SAFE Program directors to participate in the county-wide drug free event. All of the academy students in the core service learning classes researched and submitted entries in the poetry, essay and art contest. The theme was what it means to be drug-free. SLA student Thien Phan performed his break dancing for the crowd. Service Learning Academy student Kamali LaFontant won first place in the poetry contest.

TCHS County-wide drug free essay winner with SAFE Director

Wednesday we held an all-day drug-free event in the courtyard. All of the service learning students created a storefront for our mock city. The assignment was a math-art assignment, which was graded on dimensions and scale requirements, creativity and design. There were 152 stores and businesses including fast food restaurants, beauty and barber shops, Publix, department stores, florists and other businesses.

The buildings were placed along streets in the mock city, and all day classes came to learn how dangerous it is to drink and drive. Students and teachers drove the remote control cars through the streets, and then placed drunk simulation goggles on and drove a second time. They learned how difficult is is to drive safely when drunk as many building were damaged or struck by the remote control cars.

Students also prepared a celebrity cemetery that featured gravestones of celebrities who died from alcohol or drug use. A highlight of the day was Ghost Out. The "grim reaper" and his morticians took students from their classes and a group of students painted their faces white and placed signs around their necks telling how they "died" from the effects of alcohol or drug use. All day the painted students served as a reminder for students not to use drugs.

On Thursday we sponsored our annual door contest. We invited all of the teachers to have students create a door that had a drug-free message. There were many exceptional doors this year!

One of the winning drug-free doors.

The academy thanks all of the teachers and students for participating in our drug-free activities. STAY DRUG FREE!

Students drove remote control cars through the mock city wearing drunk simulation goggles and learned that they can't drive drunk.

Some students who participated in Ghost Out.

Charles the Grim Reaper

Teachers tried to drive too.

Some of the buildings

Students manned displays and gave out information on the dangers of specific drugs.

Kelsee and Emilee at booth.

Anthony and Evan assist students in the safe driving simulation.

Ciara fundraising for the SLA.

Celebrating Peace at TCHS

2010-11-16T08:07:00.000-08:00

Film maker Claire Lewis and students

by Kelsee M.

September 2010

Service Learning Academy students sponsored the United Nations International Day of Peace at TCHS on September 21, 2010. Academy students devoted the month of September to the issue of peace and conflict resolution. Activities included making bulletin boards and public service announcements to educate the student body on the issue of peace.

Over 150 students made peace themed t-shirts for the Peace Day t-shirt contest. Global Peace Film Festival executive director, Nina Streich and film maker Claire Lewis were among the judges.

Groups of service learning students led team building activities and games in the courtyard for the student body.

Peace Through Film

Also, on the International Day of Peace, the Timber Creek High School Service Learning Council sponsored a film was called The End of the Line: a film based on the Charles Clover book of the same name. It is about how over-fishing could potentially kill of a large supply of our food as well as ruin the ecosystem. Claire Lewis presented her film, The End of the Line to over 800 students and teachers. Students were given the opportunity to ask her questions after the film.

Claire Lewis is a renowned British producer. Many of her shows can be seen on BBC and other channels in Britain. Over her career, she has won six Royal Television Society Awards as well as having two BAFTA nominations. The End of the Line won the Environment Award at the 2010 One World Media Awards.

The film had a great impact on the audience. Many students did not know that we may soon be living in a world without fish. The film was startling and eye-opening. It was an honor to have Ms. Lewis come to speak to our school. Our partner, the Global Peace Film Festival arranged for the screening, and also arranged for our field trips to the Enzain Theater where students and teachers saw films from the GPFF.

Enzian Theater Films

TCHS academy students went to the Enzian Theater to view Global Peace Film Festival films and discuss peace-related issues with filmmakers, producers and authors.

One short film, Hiding in the Spotlight deeply moved the audience. The powerful film was created by an Orlando filmmaker, Candy Dawson, who is the wife of Orlando Sentinel columnist Greg Dawson. It tells the remarkable story of a young Jewish girl, Zhanna who escaped death during the Holocaust. It is based on the book written by her son, Greg Dawson.

Zhanna and her family were taken from their home and sent on one of the death marches. Zhanna’s father bribed one of the Nazi soldier’s to look away and he did. Zhanna escaped through the woods and went to a locate village she knew. A few days later, she had found her sister (and to this day no one, but Frina, knows how she escaped). The girls had changed their names and lived in an orphanage.

They were piano and musical prodigies and performed in the town where their orphanage was located. Later their talent was discovered and they were taken to Germany to be performers for the Nazi soldiers. They told no one know that they were Jewish. So for years they were hiding from the Nazis right in front of them.

Students interacted with a panel that included Greg Dawson, Candy Dawson and a filmmaker who is working on a full-length documentary film about Zhanna that will be released next year. To learn more about this amazing story see Mr. Dawson's website, Hiding in the Spotlight.

Some photos from Peace Month activities:

Team building games

5th Annual Peace Art Exhibit at Orlando City Hall

2010-09-23T16:42:00.000-07:00

High School Category Winner - Dr. Phillips High, mixed media

September 2010

Forty-one OCPS elementary, middle, high and charter schools participated in the Peace Art Exhibit this year! The service-learning project is sponsored annually with our partner, the Global Peace Film Festival, to promote peace, conflict resolution, and nonviolence. The exhibit is part of the academy's month-long peace activities to commemorate the United Nations International Day of Peace, September 21st.

The exhibit was set up September 16, 2010 at Orlando City Hall and ran until September 30, 2010.

The reception and awards presentation was held on September 20, 2010. A large turnout of teachers, students and their parents attended to view the art, celebrate peace and congratulate the award recipients! There was standing room only in the rotunda as Mayor Buddy Dyer addressed the crowd and declared the week of September 19 to 26 Peace Week in Orlando.

Some photos of the show and reception:

Middle school winner - Avalon Park Middle, mixed media

Best of Show -Lake Nona High School senior -pencil

Middle school winner - Howard Middle School, paper and chalk

Service Learning Academy students help to set up exhibit

Ahmed, Lake Nona High School, Best of Show

Mayor Buddy Dyer Kaitlyn and Nicole

Artists with Mayor Dyer

Some young artists

Looking at exhibit

Teachers and Principals

Academy Students Visit Washington

2010-08-22T11:00:00.000-07:00

June 2010

Students make presentation to the Learn and Serve and Americorps staff

Five TCHS Service Learning Council students competed and were selected to participate in COMPACT's annual trip to Washington, DC. The students were selected based on service learning activities, an essay, an interview, GPA, excellent attendance and character. They joined COMPACT and AVID students from Freedom, Jones, Oakridge, Colonial and Dr. Philips.

The representatives from the SL Academy were: seniors Josh Peters, Rainel Zelaya, Zohaad Merchant, junior Cheslea Salvato, and freshman Erica Dekover. Former TCHS service learning student and Boone graduate, Nani Doromal was the trip's photographer.

From a press release by COMPACT Executive Director, George Fuller:

...The highlight of the trip was the two hour dialogue with Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas who has shared his wisdom and advice each year to COMPACT students, beginning with the first trip in 1992. Other special events included the one-half day sponsored by Darden Restaurants which began with a fabulous lunch at their Capital Grille Restaurant. Following lunch, the group journeyed to the Capitol for an afternoon informational session with some representatives from the offices of several Florida members of Congress and three scholarship organizations.

The trip also included a White House Tour; visits to FDR, Jefferson, Lincoln, Vietnam, and World War II Memorials; Arlington Cemetery, and some of the Smithsonian Museums; a lunch/dance cruise along the Potomac Ricer; a scrumptious brunch at Bolling Air Force Base Officer’s Club and special Dance Performance by Carla and Company.

Just prior to departing for home the group had a meeting at the office of Corporation for National and Community Service. This meeting was initiated by chaperone, Mrs. Wendy Doromal, who is the Service Learning Teacher at Timber Creek and also serves as the Service Learning Coordinator for Orange County Public Schools. Mrs. Doromal and her five Timber Creek students gave a presentation on their Service Learning projects. Also the other students shared their Community Service involvement with the audience which included representatives from AmeriCorps VISTA (Volunteers In Service To America), Learn and Serve America, and National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC).

Chelsea said, "Being able to speak with and thank the Learn and Serve directors who fund our programs was exciting and we learned of amazing opportunities during and after high school. I hope to intern in Washington."

Every student received a special bracelet flash drive from Learn and Serve America Program.

The trip was an experience none of us will ever forget. My advice to future SLA students is to compete for the 2011 trip!

Here are some photos from our trip:

Academy students Zohaad Merchant and Chelsea Salvato presented Tracey Seabolt from Learn and Serve America with a scrapbook detailing their service learning activities.

Americorps is one of the exciting programs where students can serve after high school.

TCHS students and chaperones with Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas

Arlington Cemetery

Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, Arlington Cemetery

Students pose on the Supreme Court steps

The Washington Monument

Zohaad and Rainel at the Lincoln Memorial

After the White House tour. We met a secret service man from Florida!

Zohaad danced at Dance Place

We met some Florida congressional staffers

Nani and Mrs. D. met with Congressman Gregorio Sablan from the Northern Mariana Islands where they lived.

China Town at night!

The WWII Monument

Josh and Rainel outside Capital Grille where we ate lunch.

FDR Memorial

U.S. Capitol

Day of Service

2010-08-22T05:25:00.000-07:00

May 2010
by Kelsee

Former Service Learning Academy student, Fernando Nunez founded Beyond the Wall

A Day of Service to bring awareness about local and international issues was held at TCHS on May 14th. The Service Learning Council students sponsored the Sock Hop for the Health Care Center for the Homeless, the Beyond the Wall Campaign, and helped Mrs. Kee's Service Club publicize their Talent Show to raise money for the TCHS Foundation and the Service Club.

For 8 years the Service Learning Council has partnered with the Health Care Center for the Homeless to advocate for the needs of the area's homeless population. This year we sponsored a Sock Hop to benefit our partner. Students also collected clothes, food and hygiene products for the HCCH to distribute to the homeless.

This year the Sock Hop featured a 1950s costume contest, food booths. A month of Public service announcements and bulletin boards helped get out valuable information about the services provided by the HCCH and how individuals and clubs can advocate for the area's estimated 7,000 homeless men, women and children.

Members of the HCCH's Hope Team spoke at the Sock Hop about the center's mission and clients. They thanked the students for sponsoring the dance that raised $1,000.

About the H.O.P.E. Team from the HCCH web site:

Our outreach team is comprised of staff and volunteers working where the homeless live - on the streets and in the woods. The main goal of the HOPE Team is to connect clients in the camps with the medical, dental, and behavioral health services the Health Care Center for the Homeless can provide. This team provides basic needs such as food and water in an effort to build a rapport with clients who have an innate mistrust of people, eventually allowing staff to introduce clients to the services that HCCH can offer them. The team also provides transportation for clients living in the woods to the clinic for health care appointments. The HOPE Team also assists homeless clients in obtaining identification cards, birth certificates, transitional housing, and referrals to behavioral health and substance abuse treatment programs. HCCH recently added a Registered Nurse to the HOPE Team, allowing for some needs to be addressed in the field and facilitating stronger medical assessments for more critical client health needs.

Here are some photos of the event!

Health Care Center for the Homeless Staff

Crazy 1950s costume winners!

Zohaad, the announcer!

SGA students provided the sound system and helped with the prizes

Phillip and Josh

Kelsee

BEYOND THE WALL
The Sock Hop was followed by a Beyond the Wall presentation that featured a talk by founder and former Service Learning Academy student and Service Learning Council officer, Fernando Nunez.

Some Background
In December 2008, when Fernando was a senior he asked Mrs. Doromal to borrow her video camera to make a video documentary about the poverty in Columbia's coastal city of Cartagena as his independent service learning project. While most of the students celebrated the holidays and relaxed, Fernando spent his December holiday in Colombia interviewing people and learning about their needs.

The result was the documentary "Beyond the Wall", showing the economic inequality in the coastal city of Cartagena de Indias. Fernando concentrated his film in El Talon, a small town in the outskirts of Cartagena, and promised the residents of that town help in the near future. He returned to the United States and successfully began the "Beyond the Wall Campaign" to raise the residents out of poverty and improve their quality of life.

Fernando launched his campaign at TCHS and received many donations. He also received support from the local press, churches, and many residents of Central Florida. In Colombia, he received support from the Miss Colombia Organization (Concurso Nacional de Belleza), the Colombian National Police, the Colombian Civil Defense, and the Colombian Civic Police.

On July 18th, 2009, he successfully delivered approximately 4,000 clothing and food items to almost 600 residents of El Talon.

Fernando continued serving the area's homeless and the people of Colombia through more projects including a clothing drive for the homeless and a holiday gifts campaign for children of Colombia.

For the Day of Service, the Service Learning Council hosted Fernando and Miss Colombia, Michelle Rouillard, in a presentation in the Performing Arts Center. Fernando told us about the Beyond the Wall Campaign and there were Colombian performers. Before the presentation there was a reception for the celebrity who is a sponsor of the Beyond the Wall Campaign.

Miss Colombia spoke about the campaign and how the Miss Columbia program supports it. She encouraged students to follow in the path of Fernando and serve their communities.

Fernando is a wonderful example of how academy students take what they learn about service learning and apply it in the world. We are so proud of you, Fernando!

Miss Colombia speaking

At the reception

Miss Colombia meets Principal John Wright and AP Mr. McHale

TCHS Stuednts perform Colombian dances

Invisible Children

2010-08-22T04:28:00.000-07:00

April 2010

For the second year in the row TCHS hosted the Invisible Children movement. The organization uses film and social action to advocate for the end of child soldiers in Joseph Kony's rebel war and to restore Northern Uganda to peace and prosperity. The young advocates criss-cross the nation visiting campuses to educate students about the situation to gain support to for the campaign to rebuild schools in war-torn Uganda.

This month we hosted a Face-to-Face tour. TCHS was honored to have the Invisible children speakers address over 700 students. especially powerful was the story of a young Ugandan student.

Service learning students just founded a Schools to Schools Club and hope to begin to raise money for Ugandan schools. Look for announcements in the upcoming school year!

Earth Celebration 2010!

2010-04-22T18:40:00.002-07:00

April 23, 2010

Earth Day was part of a series of service learning activities included in our month-long Earth Celebration.

For weeks we broadcast our public service announcements to raise awareness on the environment. We made environmental bulletin boards that offered solutions to what one person can do to protect the environment, conserve energy, reduce waste and prevent global warming.

On Earth Day, Sunrise Elementary students from Mrs. LaChance's service learning class joined us in a day long celebration. Zoology students presented a workshop on endangered species. Then they took the students on a tour of the wetlands where they discovered some reptiles and wildlife.

Council and academy students have been making purses, wallets and key rings from Capri Sun pouches, making bracelets from soda can tabs and rain sticks from paper towel and gift wrap tubes. We sold our recycled goods to raise money for the academy. We also taught the Sunrise students how to make necklaces using rolled beads made from magazine pages.

The Green Team, our school's service club that promotes recycling at TCHS, led the Sunrise students in making t-shirts with environmental and Earth Day themes. Academy teachers including Mr. Robbins, Mr. Gardner, Ms. Nason, Mrs. Martyny, and Mr. Clark also helped with Earth Day!

Walt Disney World provided Sunrise students with beautiful Environmental Hero Disney pins. Disney has played an important role in our academy service learning projects for the last two years by awarding Mrs. Doromal $28,000 for service learning.

More Earth Celebration

For three days academy students also went to the Enzian Theatre in Maitland where they watched environmental films. Over 350 students participated in the filmfest that was provided by our partner the Global Peace Film Festival. Documentary film instructor, Lisa Mills from the University of Central Florida screened her documentary, Dear Mr. Gore:

This personal narrative documentary uses the director’s bicycle ride to work as a vehicle to explore fear and global warming. The film was shot over a period of two years in Sweden, Denmark and Orlando, Florida. It is a contemplative response to An Inconvenient Truth and provides a unique perspective on one person’s attempt to reduce her carbon footprint and overcome fear. She wonders, “Will Americans ever be able to give up personal freedom for the good of the planet?” Her journey to the answer takes the viewer on a humorous bike ride. Along the way she meets Swedes, Danes and many young people who aren’t afraid of giving up their cars. But she discovers that the reasons they ride may not be directly related to their concerns about global warming. The film features a bicycle ride with the Mayor of Orlando and music by Danish electric violin sensation Mads Tolling.

Dear Mr. Gore was an artistic film that shows the need to have more bicycle-safe streets in our city. The contrast between European attitude towards bikers and American's attitude is very vast! The music was fun and throughout much of the film the filmmaker poked fun at herself.

Filmmaker Josh Hansbrough from Birdman Productions showed his film, One Village, Same Ocean:

As a cruise ship threatens to move into Mayport Village, residents and supporters band together to show that community, livelihood, environment and health cannot be bargained for. Journey the seas with shrimpers, and unveil the area's astounding lost history. This is the story of a small fishing village fighting the powerful cruise ship industry. Will these ships continue polluting the very places they promote visiting? Or will one camera and a wealth of knowledge unite supporters in protecting the ocean and the fishermen left along its’ shores.

After the film was shown, Josh asked us questions about the film. He gave away DVDs to the students who got the questions correct. Mayport is only 2 hours from Orlando, but most of us have never been there! It is historical significant to our state. This film showed that people can unite to stop the destruction of their village. The music in this film was also enjoyable.

Both films had Florida environmental themes. Being able to question the filmmakers and interact with them gives the films more depth.

We hope you will take the time to conserve, reduce, recycle and preserve our Earth this week and always!

Greg Mortenson: Pennies for Peace

2010-03-13T15:18:00.000-08:00

March 13, 2010

Inspiring speaker, peacemaker and author, Greg Mortenson addressed 1,000 TCHS students telling us his story and how one person can make a difference. Mr. Mortenson is the founder of Pennies for Peace, an international service learning program with thousands of participants from around the globe.

Mr. Mortenson is the author of Three Cups of Tea: One Man’s Mission to Promote Peace, One School At A Time. The book has been on the New York Times Bestsellers list for three years. It tells the tale of how Mr. Moretnson's failed attempt to climb Pakistan’s K2 led to the successful establish dozens of schools, and promote girls’ education in rural Afghanistan and Pakistan.

His new book is Stones to School: Promoting Peace with Books, Not Bombs, in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

From the West Orlando News:

Mortenson has established more than 131 schools, primarily for girls, in the rural areas of Pakistan and Afghanistan. His efforts have helped deliver education to more than 58,000 children, including 44,000 females. His honors are numerous – the Men’s Journal Anti-Terror Award, Red Cross Humanitarian of the Year Award and the Medical Education Hall of Fame Award.

Attending a private luncheon with the author were Mrs. Doromal, Service Learning Council member Kelsee Marcus and former council officer and TCHS graduate, Fernando Nunez, founder of Beyond the Wall. They joined several students from Mr. Michael Coleman's classes, some ROTC cadets, School Board members, East Area Superintendent John Edwards, Principal John Wright, some business and educational partners and parents.

Mr. Mortenson graciously moved from table to table greeting each and every person, learning their interests and stories, and then autographing books with personal messages. He also autographed the Stones to Schools books for everyone at the luncheon. Some of us who were in front were able to get autographed books before he had to leave.

After the luncheon Mr. Mortenson addressed over 1,000 students and teachers in the performing Arts Center. His presentation was astounding. He had slides and stories that we could relate to even though he was speaking about children and communities in faraway Afghanistan and Pakistan.

What did students think of Mr. Mortenson? Here are some comments from their reflections:

"I have never heard such a great speaker. I would like our council to adopt Pennies for Peace next year."

"Mr. Mortenson is not just one of the most giving people that I ever met, but one of the most humble. He was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize two times. I hope next year he wins the Nobel Peace Prize."

"What I took away was that we can make a difference. The most important thing is to never give up and to enlist community members."

"Mr. Mortenson respects the Islamic religion and understands our culture. That is key to peace and to understanding."

"Mr. Mortenson is a walking advertisement for service learning. As he told his story all the steps and elements for service learning were demonstrated -partnerships, planning, action, reflection..."

"We need to help the children of Afghanistan, especially the girls. We take too much for granted here."

"This is the first author I met in person. He signed two books for me and wrote about service learning. I know we can contribute some way to advance his important mission and bring awareness to the needs of Afghanistan's girls."

Service Learning Council members voted to adopt Pennies for Peace as a project next year.

Mr. Mortenson donated over $100,000 worth of books to our school. The Service Learning Council received class sets of Three Cups of Tea and Stones to Schools. Being able to meet and listen to his inspirational words was one of the highlights of our year.

Here is a Video.

Service Learning Conference 2010

2010-03-13T15:17:00.001-08:00

February 15, 2010

The Sixth Annual OCPS Service Learning Conference was the largest and most successful we have held so far. For the first time the conference had a theme with many of the workshops focusing on issues involving migrant farm workers, and concentrating on environmental issues.

Over two hundred teachers, students, parents and partners spent the day leaning more about service learning and issue-related projects. Children of the migrant farm workers were bused to the conference from the Hope Community Center in Apopka to enjoy the workshops and to perform traditional Mexican dances during the lunch break. The Service Learning Council of Jackson Middle School was also bused in for the conference. Over 25 different OCPS schools were represented with teachers and students attending the event.

The conference takes a lot of preparation and is one of our largest yearly service learning projects. The Service Learning Council had different committees focusing on recruiting partners and workshop presenters, logistics and equipment, program, meals, registration, soliciting prizes, and publicity. Academy teachers and students also prepared workshops to present to students and teachers including an Introduction to American Sign Language, Cesar Chavez Service Learning Model, Endangered Species, Service Learning 101 and more.

Presenters from Connecticut and Minnesota, as well as from Florida joined us this year. Presenters included service learning practitioners, farm workers, Farmworker Association personnel, Hope Community Center personnel, an actor and filmmakers.

Service learning expert Dr. Robert Shumer taught us how to make assessments and evaluations so this year we prepared workshop evaluations allowing every workshop to be evaluated by participants. We are using the information to determine what workshops were the most popular and what ones needed work or should be modified or eliminated in the future. The evaluations also told us about the strength and weaknesses of the overall conference.

The Service Learning Council and Mrs. Doromal thank all of our sponsors and workshop presenters for making the conference a success!

Sixth Annual OCPS District Service Learning Conference is Saturday

2010-02-08T14:07:00.001-08:00

February 8, 2010

Click here for the Program for the Sixth Annual OCPS District Service Learning Conference to be held at Timber Creek High School Saturday, February 13, 2010! Registration begins at 7:30.

For directions to Timber Creek High School click here.

See you at the conference!

Bulletin Boards: Getting Messages Out

2010-02-04T13:58:00.000-08:00

February 4, 2010

Students from VPS and Service Learning Council classes have been making bulletin boards for hallways in the school since the beginning of the school year to raise awareness on a variety of issues. We also make public service announcements for Wolf TV.

This year's temes have been:

September - Conflict Resolution and International Peace

October - Say No to Drugs

November - Migrant farm workers and Immigration

December - Conservation and environmental awareness

January - Civil Rights and Cyber-bullying

February - Service Learning and Dangers of Texting and Driving

Coming up!

March -Cesar Chavez and migrant farm workers' issues

April - Service Learning, environmental issues, and Earth Day

May- Homelessness and Poverty in Central Florida

2010-01-09T06:43:00.001-08:00

The Sixth Annual Orange County Public Schools

Service Learning Conference

Saturday, February 13, 2010

8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Timber Creek High School

1001 Avalon Park Blvd.

Orlando, FL 32828

What is the OCPS Service-Learning Conference?
The conference is designed to bring together teachers, administrators, students, parents, and partners throughout Orange County and Florida to share ideas, learn new methods, and provide beneficial training in service learning. The conference will feature a wide variety of interactive workshops and activities. There will be booths and displays showcasing service-learning projects and programs implemented by OCPS teachers, students, and our service learning community partners. There are two planned workshop tracks. One for middle/high school students with workshops prepared and led by TCHS Service Learning Academy students and teachers, and another track for high school/adult participants with workshops featuring well-known presenters who are experts in the field of service learning. The conference is free and breakfast and lunch will be provided!

Who should attend?
All teachers, students, administrators, parents, and partners interested in learning more about service learning are invited to attend. This conference is a mandatory requirement for all 2009-2010 OCPS Service Learning Trainers, Penny Harvest and PeaceJam program recipients, and all TCHS & OCPS mini-grant recipients who will attend a special workshop.

Where is the location?
The conference is hosted by the Service Learning Academy at Timber Creek High School located at 1001 Avalon Park Blvd., Orlando, FL 32828. TCHS is located off of Alafaya Trail in Avalon Park, East Orlando. (Check out Map Quest for directions)

When will the conference take place?
The conference is Saturday, February 13, 2010 from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

How can I obtain more information?
If you have specific questions, please contact Wendy Doromal, OCPS Service Learning Coordinator at doromaw@ocps.net.

What about registration?
Registration is free! The deadline to register is January 29, 2010.
Send or e-mail the REGISTRATION FORM to:
Wendy L. Doromal, OCPS Service Learning Coordinator
Timber Creek High School
1001 Avalon Park Blvd.
Orlando, FL 32828
doromaw@ocps.net

See you at the conference!

Give A Kid A Back Pack!

2010-01-09T05:20:00.001-08:00

Think of all of the useful items that are tossed into the garbage every day and end up in landfills? What if we recycled what we didn't need and gave them to people who needed them? This is the concept behind Give A Kid a Back Pack.

Last year the Service Learning Council led the entire student body in a school-wide drive to donate school supplies to Give Kids a Back Pack. At the end of every school year there is a locker clean out days where students must empty their lockers. They toss hundreds of pencils, reams of notebook paper, folders, binders, rulers and other school supplies into the garbage every year. But not last year! Last year students put out public service announcements on Wolf TV calling for school supplies from their lockers to be donated for students around the world who can't afford to buy their own supplies. They coordinated with the maintenance crew and Ms. Scherr to have bins in each hallway to collect the unused or gently used supplies. Academy students hauled all of the bins and bags with throwaway locker supplies into the council classroom and sorted through them to find unused and gently school supplies to donate to Give A Kid a Backpack.

Here is what the organization has to say about the need for back packs:

In much of the world, education is only technically free. Children may attend school for free but they need to pay registration fees and supply their own uniforms and school supplies. These modest requirements are simply beyond the reach of most poor children in these countries. Give a Kid a Backpack targets children who live in severe conditions of poverty who are eager to go to school but don't have the funds to fulfill these requirements.

We heard about Give A Kid A Back Pack from our partner, Julie Colombino of United Way, Heart of Florida. Give a Kid a Backpack is a nonprofit located in Clermont, Florida. In 2003 they organized to collect backpacks filled with school supplies that they donate to impoverished children around the world.

The council collected over 300 binders, dozens of unused pencils, rulers, scissors, dozens of packs of notebook paper, new and gently used back packs, erasers, glue, art supplies, construction paper, calculators and more! The entire classroom was filled with school supplies that we sorted and packed by category. We also received a donation of boxes of new school supplies from the Interact Club.

We were surprised when we received a call from United Way this year to let us know that they were delivering a plaque of recognition from Give a Kid A Back Pack's founder and president, Rosanna Kingston.

You can donate a back pack too! Why not get your own school to sponsor a locker clean-out day where you collect school supplies for needy children?

Here is their contact information:

Give a Kid a Backpack
PO Box 120397
Clermont FL 34712

2105 Hartwood Marsh Rd Suite 6
Clermont, Fl 34711

Tel: 877.452.7225
Fax: 352.394.5018

Contents you can include in a backpack:

Pair of Blunt Scissors
Gently Used or New Backpack
12 New #2 Pencils with Eraser
12 inch Ruler
Small Pencil Sharpener
One Box of Colored Pencils
12 New Pens
2 Folders with inside Pockets
Zippered Pencil Bag
Box of Colored Pencils
Large Eraser
Self addressed stamped envelope if you'd like to receive updates on the backpack delivery.

Some photos of our Give A Kid A Back Pack collection:

2009-12-27T04:35:00.000-08:00

The Sixth Annual Orange County Public Schools

Service Learning Conference

Saturday, February 13, 2010

8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Timber Creek High School

1001 Avalon Park Blvd.

Orlando, FL 32828

See you at the conference!

UN International Migrant Workers Day

2009-12-19T01:04:00.000-08:00

“Once social change begins, it cannot be reversed. You cannot uneducate the person who has learned to read. You cannot humiliate the person who feels pride. You cannot oppress the people who are not afraid anymore. We have seen the future, and the future is ours.” Cesar Chavez

December 18, 2009

Today marks the 20 anniversary of the United National International Migrant Workers Day. In 1990 the General Assembly adopted the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families.

This day is a time to recognize the contributions of migrant workers and to promote social justice and human rights for the workers and their families. Members of the Service Learning Council and Mr. Gardner's science class joined Mrs. Doromal and Mr. Gardner to recognize the day by bringing a busload of books, clothing, food and school supplies to the Hope CommUnity Center that is the farm workers' ministry in Apopka. The center is run by the Sisters of Notre Dame and their mission is "to strengthen and support the working poor and immigrant communities of Central Florida through faith, advocacy, education, leadership and economic development programs."

The center is a beautiful building that is about two years old. The building's architecture and design have Mexican features like the tiled floors. The entry has a beautiful mural painted by students under the direction of artists from the Crealde Art Center. There is beautiful artwork throughout the building and a rotunda in the center with the prayer, "May you have a heart as wide as the world," written around the circled ceiling.

The center offers counseling and social services, pastoral services and classes in citizenship computer, dancing, sewing, English, GED, and Spanish. The also sponsor a youth credit union.

We met with Sister Anne, Sister Maureen and Nilka Melendez to learn more about the mission of the center. The students learned how difficult it is for the migrant farm worker students who attend Apopka and Wekiva High Schools. Their school experience is much different from ours. Many of them have language barriers and their families are transient. About 80 students meet after school at the Hope CommUnity Center to use the computer lab, get tutoring help and socialize.

The academy is forging a relationship with the students from the center. They are invited to attend our February district service learning conference and the April Earth Day event at the Enzian Theatre as guests of the academy.

Sister Anne told the academy students how the center assists the students of the farm workers for prom by providing prom dresses and tuxedos and having a hair stylist, makeup artists and photographer at the center to help get the girls ready for the big night. The sisters' vans provide the transportation. After prom the students return to the center where they have a meal and activities.

The group also met with the Vistas from the Americorps Program. The center has about 30 vistas who work in agencies and schools supporting the migrant farmworkers and their children and other economically depressed students. The Vistas were gathered at the center for a meeting. Students and teachers from the academy shared information about their service learning program and activities.

We also listened to Ellie, the daughter of migrant farmworkers. She works at the center and attends Valencia Community College. Ellie told us that she can only afford to take one course because she has to pay triple the tuition. She spoke to us about the Dream Act and will be speaking at the up coming district service learning conference at TCHS about the Dream Act and difficulties faced by children of migrant workers.

The visit to the center put a face on the issues we have been studying. We just completed the book, The Human Cost of Food by Charles D. Thompson, Jr., and Melinda F. Wiggins. The book is about the farmworkers history, life, labor and advocacy. The passion of the sisters, the staff and the Americorps team is inspiring. We are excited about partnering with the Hope CommUnity Center!

Here are some photos from the field trip:

Green Holiday!

2009-12-17T16:26:00.000-08:00

December 17, 2009

The Green Holiday celebration drew a large crowd of students, teachers and administrators who came to see how to make recycled ornaments and how to save energy during the holidays.

The trees in the courtyard were decorated with recycle soda can ornaments and plastic painted and glittered water bottles that were made into spirals.

Entertainers included former TCHS student and musician Philip Mahoney, Service Learning Academy student William Griswold and Boboy Doromal. The American Sign Language students signed to holiday songs.

The winners of the recycled ornament contest were Kelsee M. for her flamingo and palm tree ornament made from a light bulb and newspaper; Kaitlynn for her grinch ornament from an old light bulb; and Nicole who used an old greeting card and crocheted around it to make a small gift holder. Over thirty ornaments from recycled ornaments were submitted for the contest. Others were made from paper, magazines, old wrapping paper, cans, scarps of fabric, junk mail, cardboard and other materials.

The Green Team made a booth to show how to save money and electricity with LED ( Light Emitting Diode) lights and CFL (Compact Fluorescent Lights) lights versus the old holiday incandescent lights.

The benefits of LED lights are:

Long-lasting - LED bulbs last up to 10 times as long as compact fluorescents, and far longer than typical incandescents.
Durable - since LEDs do not have a filament, they are not damaged under circumstances when a regular incandescent bulb would be broken. Because they are solid, LED bulbs hold up well to jarring and bumping.
Cool - these bulbs do not cause heat build-up; LEDs produce 3.4 btu's/hour, compared to 85 for incandescent bulbs. This also cuts down on air conditioning costs in the home.
Mercury-free - no mercury is used in the manufacturing of LEDs.
More efficient - LED light bulbs use only 2-10 watts of electricity (1/3rd to 1/30th of Incandescent or CFL) Small LED flashlight bulbs will extend battery life 10 to 15 times longer than with incandescent bulbs. Also, because these bulbs last for years, energy is saved in maintenance and replacement costs. For example, many cities in the US are replacing their incandescent traffic lights with LED arrays because the electricity costs can be reduced by 80% or more.
Cost-effective - although LEDs are expensive, the cost is recouped over time and in battery savings. For the AC bulbs and large cluster arrays, the best value comes from commercial use where maintenance and replacement costs are expensive.
Light for remote areas - because of the low power requirement for LEDs, using solar panels becomes more practical and less expensive than running an electric line or using a generator for lighting.

The benefits of CFL lighting are:

Efficient: CFLs are four times more efficient and last up to 10 times longer than incandescents. A 22 watt CFL has about the same light output as a 100 watt incandescent. CFLs use 50 - 80% less energy than incandescents.
Less Expensive: Although initially more expensive, you save money in the long run because CFLs use 1/3 the electricity and last up to 10 times as long as incandescents. A single 18 watt CFL used in place of a 75 watt incandescent will save about 570 kWh over its lifetime. At 8 cents per kWh, that equates to a $45 savings.
Reduces Air and Water Pollution: Replacing a single incandescent bulb with a CFL will keep a half-ton of CO2 out of the atmosphere over the life of the bulb. If everyone in the U.S. used energy-efficient lighting, we could retire 90 average size power plants. Saving electricity reduces CO2 emissions, sulfur oxide and high-level nuclear waste.
High-Quality Light: Newer CFLs give a warm, inviting light instead of the "cool white" light of older fluorescents. They use rare earth phosphors for excellent color and warmth. New electronically ballasted CFLs don't flicker or hum.
Versatile: CFLs can be applied nearly anywhere that incandescent lights are used. Energy-efficient CFLs can be used in recessed fixtures, table lamps, track lighting, ceiling fixtures and porchlights. 3-way CFLs are also now available for lamps with 3-way settings. Dimmable CFLs are also available for lights using a dimmer switch.

RSVP and the Annual Santa Workshop

2009-12-05T05:43:00.001-08:00

December 2009

Working with RSVP and the Director Hedy Bass is one of the highlights of the year for Service Learning Council students!

Throughout the year the Orlando Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) members work on the two-day event making and collecting hundreds of gifts for Headstart and UCP children to select for their holiday shopping lists. The entire center is transformed into Santa's workshop with magical holiday decorations everywhere.

Academy students assist the children by taking them from table to table to fill their shopping lists so they can give their sisters and brothers, parents and grandparents holiday gifts. After they select their gifts the academy students assist them at the gift wrapping table and then take them to see Santa and Mrs. Claus. Two SLA students manned the juice and cookie table serving the children.

The rocking senior citizens performed in a big band and the Senior Rockettes danced! Children had their faced painted and listened to stories as they waited for their turns to shop. This year Disney World's Mickey Mouse visited the event making it even more magical for the children.

Council students said that this is one of their favorite projects of the year as the senior citizen center is transformed into a heartwarming one if a kind event to benefit the children with special needs.

Second Annual Green Holiday

2009-12-05T04:33:00.000-08:00

December 2009

It's the Second Annual Green Holiday at TCHS! Please join us to learn how to conserve energy, save our planet and create holiday decorations from recycled materials! We will have displays and booths where you can make your own ornaments and wrapping paper from brown paper grocery bags.

This year we are having a contest to see who can create the most spectacular, original and creative holiday ornaments from recycled materials. Win a gift certificate to our partner, Barnes and Noble and get a great book to read over winter break!

Teachers are invited to bring their classes and join us in singing holiday songs as recording artist Boboy Doromal, former TCHS student Philip Mahoney, and SLC member Spencer Angelis entertain in the courtyard December 17th. What service learning student will be playing keyboard and signing? Come to find out!

The American Sign Language students will be signing to their favorite holiday songs. The Green Team will be setting up a booth and promoting green ideas. Help us decorate our Christmas tree with LED lights and get green ideas for Hanukkah and Kwanzaa.

We understand that the Obamas are having a green holiday too! They have recycled and natural ornaments in the White House this year too.

Tips for a green holiday:

1. Use LED lights that use 90% less energy. Use timers or shut lights off during overnight hours.

2. Use the resources from Green America, to purchase fair trade and green holiday presents. Check out their Green Holiday gift catalog to buy gifts from people and businesses who support our planet.

3. Make your own wrapping paper from old maps, newspaper comic pages, sheet music, and brown paper bags. Instead of buying ribbons decorate with pine cones, shells, dried seed pods, little toys from fast food restaurants. You can also wrap presents with light dish towels, table napkins and scarves. Make gift tags from last year's cards or paper scraps.

4. Recycle your tree. Turn your tree into mulch! Go to Earth 911 to find a recycling center in your town. Or purchase a live tree to plant in your yard or an artificial tree that can be used every year.

5. Make your own holiday cards or send personalized email greetings.

6. Use your own canvas shopping bags when shopping for gifts and holiday food.

7. If you get a new cell phone or computer for the holidays donate your old one or recycle them.

8. Prepare food gifts of cookies, jams, relishes or breads and package them in reusable tins or glass jars.

9. Instead of purchasing a gift, create a piece of art or give a certificate book with tickets for free baby sitting, cutting the grass and other useful services.

Apopka CommUnity Center Our New Partner!

2009-11-28T04:46:00.000-08:00

November 2009

The Service Learning Council and Volunteer Public Service students held a candy drive to raise funds for the Hope CommUnity Center. The money will help to provide Thanksgiving turkeys for the migrant farmworkers and their families. "The Hope CommUnity Center, formerly known as The Office for Farmworker Ministry, is a community-based organization founded in 1971. The Ministry has worked continually to meet the needs of the ever-growing number of farmworker and immigrant families residing in Central Florida. Over the years, the Ministry has fostered the development of many self-help, community and worker organizations to meet basic human needs."

Chelsea, Rachel, Mrs. Doromal, Mrs, Martyny and Mrs. Sanchez represented the Timber Creek High School Service Learning Academy to present the check to the Apopka CommUnity Center at an event held Wednesday November 18th at the La Presna office in Longwood.

The Hispanic-American Professional and Business Women's Association sponsored a dinner and program. Sister Ann, Sister Gail and Minerva Colon from the CommUnity Center attended the event. We are looking forward to bringing the books from the book drive to the center and working on many projects with this wonderful organization!

The event that featured some amazing students from Apopka High School who presented a skit about the Dream Act.

Here is some basic information on the Dream Act from the National Immigration Law Center:

What is the DREAM Act?
The Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act is bipartisan legislation that addresses the situation faced by young people who were brought to the United States years ago as undocumented immigrant children and who have since grown up here, stayed in school, and kept out of trouble.

Why is the DREAM Act needed?
Each year about 65,000 U.S.–raised students who would qualify for the DREAM Act’s benefits graduate from high school. These include honor roll students, star athletes, talented artists, homecoming queens, and aspiring teachers, doctors, and U.S. soldiers. They are young people who have lived in the U.S. for most of their lives and desire only to call this country their home. Even though they were brought to the U.S. years ago as children, they face unique barriers to higher education, are unable to work legally in the U.S., and often live in constant fear of detection by immigration authorities.

Our immigration law currently has no mechanism to consider the special equities and circumstances of such students. The DREAM Act would eliminate this flaw. It is un-American to indefinitely and irremediably punish them for decisions made by adults many years ago. By enacting the DREAM Act, Congress would legally recognize what is de facto true: these young
people belong here.

DREAM Act students should be allowed to get on with their lives. If Congress fails to act this year, another entire class of outstanding, law-abiding high school students will graduate without being able to plan for the future, and some will be removed from their homes to countries they barely know. This tragedy will cause America to lose a vital asset: an educated class of promising immigrant students who have demonstrated a commitment to hard work and a strong desire to be contributing members of our society.

What is the DREAM Act’s current status?
The DREAM Act was reintroduced in the House and Senate on March 26, 2009. Support for the DREAM Act has grown each year since it was first introduced in 2001 during the 107th
Congress. In past years it has garnered 48 Senate cosponsors and more than 152 Republican and Democratic House cosponsors, more than one-third of the House. It has twice passed the Senate Judiciary Committee in bipartisan fashion, by a 16-3 vote in the 2003–04 108th Congress, and again in 2006 by a voice vote without dissent as an amendment to the comprehensive immigration reform bill. In May 2006, the DREAM Act passed the full Senate as part of the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2006 (S. 2611). On October 24, 2007, in a 52-44 vote in the Senate, the DREAM Act (S. 2205) fell just 8 votes shy — with four senators absent for the vote — of the 60 votes necessary to proceed with debate on the bill.

The DREAM Act continues to attract bipartisan support and now, for the first time, also enjoys the strong backing of the House and Senate leadership, all of the relevant committee chairs, and President Obama.

____________

Some photos of the event:

State Learn and Serve Conference

2009-11-28T04:45:00.002-08:00

November 20, 2009

Service Learning Council officers attended the Florida Learn and Serve Conference held November 18-19, 2009 at the Peabody Hotel in Orlando. Students attended workshops and presented a César Chávez workshop. Service Learning Coordinator/teacher Wendy Doromal, academy science teacher David Gardner, academy foreign language teacher Gudrun Martyny, academy ESOL teacher Debra Dykes-Kornhouse, and OCPS Service Learning district trainers Cheryl BeMent, Jessica Hale, and Christine Woods also attended.

We were able to learn a lot, share a lot and make new friends!

On Thursday evening, students received Presidential Service Awards from President Barack Obama. Florida Learn and Serve director, Joe Follman presented the awards to the students. OCPS students receiving awards include Nani Doromal, Boone High School and from the Timber Creek Service Learning Academy: Spencer Angelis, Gilbert Aurelis, Charles Harris, Chelsea Salvato, Rachel Montenegro, Chris Martin, Philip Lack, Kaitlyn Nellesson, Cori McPherson, Jordan Holmes, Josh Peters, Nicole Hodges, Zohaad Merchant, and Rainel Zelaya.

César Chávez Workshop

2009-11-28T04:45:00.001-08:00

November 19, 2009

Service Learning Council council members and officers worked for two months studying migrant farm worker issues and designing a hands-on activities for the César Chávez workshop that we presented with Mrs. Doromal at the Florida Learn and Serve State Conference. Here is a link to the Power Point presentation.

The workshop gave participants a view of legacy of César Chávez. Each participant in the workshop received a card that had information about the life and work of this great American hero. In this opening activity everyone shared their name and school and read from their card. This way everyone was able to learn about Cézar without having information read to them.

The powerpoint took participants from the 1960's and problems of migrant farmworkers to today where the same problems exist. It focused on slave labor in Florida, tomato pickers and finding solutions.

Did you know that a Florida tomato picker has to pick 2.5 tons of tomatoes in 10 hours to earn minimum wage? We had a simulation where a picker had to carry a pail weighing 32 lbs and "pick" tomatoes. It is not an easy task, especially in the hot Florida sun.

Participants also learned about the 10 core values of César Chávez and compared them to the elements of service learning.

Students acted as migrant farmers and described their average workday. Chelsea and Rachel talked about the Dream Act and asked participants to sign the petition from the Apopka CommUnity Center. One participant at our workshop was Vista Volunteer Pedro Lopes who works with the Apopoka CommUnity Center.

We also discussed our own petition to Governor Crist and the Florida State Legislator asking for them to proclaim March 31, 2010 César Chávez Day of Service.

Here is the text of the proposed proclamation:

PROPOSED PROCLAMATION
A proclamation by the Governor of the State of Florida supporting the legacy of César E. Chávez’s life, achievement and dedication, by declaring March 31, 2010 the César E. Chávez Day of Service.

WHEREAS, César Estrada Chávez was a farm worker, civil rights leader, spiritual figure, environmentalist, consumer advocate, and crusader for nonviolent change; and

WHEREAS, His philosophy, “Si se puede” or “Yes, we can,” influenced millions of students, middle class consumers, religious groups and minorities to seek economic and social justice; and

WHEREAS, César E. Chávez promoted 10 core values: service to others, sacrifice, a preference to help most needy, determination, non-violence, acceptance, respect for life and the environment, community, knowledge, and innovation; and

WHEREAS, César E. Chávez achieved only an eighth-grade education, but through his tireless advocacy for the Latino community, he developed a sophisticated appreciation for the relationship between economic issues and political participation; and

WHEREAS, As a social entrepreneur César E. Chávez founded the first successful farm workers union in American history whose mission was to reclaim dignity, fair wages, medical coverage, benefits and humane living conditions for hundreds of thousands of people; and

WHEREAS, Florida has a vital and significant farm worker community that selflessly sacrifice and labor to bring food to our tables; and

WHEREAS, On August 8, 1994, President Bill Clinton posthumously presented the Medal of Freedom, America’s highest civilian honor, to César E. Chávez; and

WHEREAS, César E. Chávez day is a holiday in eight states (Arizona, California, Colorado, Michigan, Minnesota, Texas, Vermont, and Wisconsin) and many organizations and community leaders gather nationwide to honor and celebrate César E. Chávez Day through education and community service;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Charlie Crist, Governor of the State of Florida, do hereby proclaim March 31, 2010, as "César E. Chávez Day of Service”
in Florida and call upon the people in the State of Florida to perform service in his name and to live by his vision for social justice through non-violence.

Red Ribbon Drug-Free Week Activities

2009-11-28T04:44:00.000-08:00

October 30, 2009

For the 6th year, the Service Learning Council sponsored Red Ribbon Week at Timber Creek High School. It is a week dedicated to teaching students the dangers of alcohol and illegal drug use.

Students wrote public service announcements on the dangers of drug and alcohol abuse to broadcast on WOLF TV every day.

The highlight of the week was a day of educational activities held in the school's courtyard. Even though it was very windy the event was a huge success! Students created a celebrity cemetery with tombstones of celebrities who died from drug or alcohol use. Some of the celebrities were Health Ledger, Janice Joplin, and Michael Jackson. Paper ghosts hung from trees.

Rachel led the demonstration of real (pig's) lungs that were healthy and diseased by tobacco use. It attracted a lot of students to the table. Another table headed by Kaitlyn and Chelsea had displays with tobacco stained teeth, information about chewing tobacco and other tobacco related displays. Tri-folds on alcohol, drugs and tobacco also were displayed to educate students. Some students sold ghost pops to raise money for the Apopka CommUnity Center.

The highlight of this year's Red Ribbon Day was a new display that was the hit of the service-learning project. Students worked for several weeks creating buildings for a mini-city. Remote control cars had to navigate through the roads without hitting buildings or going off of the roads. Students took turns maneuvering the vehicles, and then they put on "drunk goggles" that made the user see surroundings as if he/she were drunk. The drivers with the drunk goggles crashed into buildings, knocked over trees and swerved off of the roads. One student said she understand why people "shouldn't drink and drive."

Another successful event was the Ghost Out. The grim reaper and his helpers went into classrooms and choose students to become victims to "die" from drug and alcohol-related events. The victims were taken to Mrs. Doromal's room where they were painted white and received a sign that they wore for the day to teach students that drug and alcohol use can have severe consequences.

The Red Ribbon Week door contest was another successful event. Teachers and students competed to have the best door that teaches the dangers of alcohol and illegal drug-use. The first place winner was Ms. Kee and her students who made a very scary warning not to use drugs! Second place was Ms. Dale and third place was the Media Center. Thank you to all the teachers and students who participated and congratulations to the winners!

Global Peace Film Festival Enzian Theater Trips!

2009-09-26T07:01:00.000-07:00

September 25, 2009

For 4 years our partner, the Global Peace Film Festival, has shown exciting films and provided educational speakers to hundreds of OCPS students. Every fall during the Film Festival and every spring during Earth Day up to 800 Orange County Public School students get to go to the beautiful Enzian Theater in Maitland. This year Service Learning Academy students helped to coordinate the trips offering academy and TCHS classes opportunities to view the films over three days of field trips.

Students saw the movie, The Original Child Bomb that is described in the catalog:

ORIGINAL CHILD BOMB, inspired by the Thomas Merton poem of the same title, is a contemplative film about the creation of the nuclear bomb and the human cost of its use. The mushroom cloud is a familiar image, but photographic evidence of the enduring harm done to people, communities and the environment by nuclear weapons has long been suppressed. ORIGINAL CHILD BOMB combines declassified footage, photographs, drawings and animation to reimagine the 1945 bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki from the perspective of the victims.  The film moves beyond the historical bombings of 1945 and brings viewers up to the present day by depicting the current reality of nuclear weaponry around the world. ORIGINAL CHILD BOMB features the testimonies of mothers and brothers and soldiers who were there on the day. ORIGINAL CHILD BOMB unfolds as a series of true stories and musical meditations that engage both heart and mind. It is a wake-up call, a summons to consciousness, an invitation to action.

One teacher said it was the best movie she ever saw at the festival! It was a beautiful film.

The other movie was directly linked to our year-long service learning project of immigration and migrant farm worker issues. It is called, The Other Side of Immigration and was a movie that took us over the border so we could look at immigration through a Mexican's eyes. The movie was in Spanish with English-sub titles. Our Spanish-speaking students said that the subtitles were accurate. Here is what the catalog said:

Why do so many Mexicans come to the U.S. illegally? What happens to the families and communities they leave behind? Director Roy Germano seeks answers to these and other questions in The Other Side of Immigration, a documentary based on his interviews with over 700 households in rural Mexican towns where 20-50% of the population has left for work in the United States. Set in the Mexican countryside and with music by My Morning Jacket and Conor Oberst, The Other Side of Immigration offers a perspective on undocumented immigration rarely witnessed by American eyes. Through an approach that is both subtle and thought-provoking, The Other Side of Immigration challenges audiences to imagine more creative and effective solutions to America’s illegal immigration problem.

Here is the trailer from YouTube:

We liked this movie! All service learning students are writing reflections and reviews on the films. Most students said before they saw this movie they did not know why so many people left their homes to come here. Students also liked the music in this film.

Karen Bolt (left) and Carole Hart.

Speakers

We were treated to exceptional and inspirational speakers at this year's festival. We participated in question and answer sessions with our speakers. Who did we meet this year?

Carole Hart was an original writer on Sesame Street and with her late husband, Bruce Hart she wrote the program's pilot. Bruce Hart wrote the lyrics to the Sesame Street song. She has been involved with fimmaking for many years. She wrote the book and television adaptation of Sooner or Later.

Ms. Hart was at the festival presenting her film, For the Next Seven Generations, which is the story of some exceptional grandmothers who formed the International Council of Thirteen Indigenous Grandmothers.

Mrs. Hart told us that media can stir people and "wake people up."

Karen T. Bolt, Development Executor for Carrie Productions (Danny Glover) was another amazing speaker. Ms Bolt told us that Mr. Glover's role in the movie industry is second to his service and humanitarian work. He is a United Nations Goodwill Ambassador and has done much work with people in Africa. Ms. Bolt told us that we should record what we are doing and tell stories. (We do that in our reflections!)

She reminded us about the Dr. Seuss story of Horton Hears a Who and suggested we are Hortons in the world!

Dr. Joe Siry is a professor of science at Rollins College. It was exciting to be able to exchange ideas and ask questions to him concerning issues affecting migrant workers because he is one of our essential partners in our major project this year! We will be working with Dr. Siry and the Rollins College students in environmental issues related to pesticide and fertilizer use in the farmlands around Lake Apopka.

The Service Learning Academy wants to thank our special partners The Global Peace Film Festival, the Enzian Theater and Rollins College. We also want to thank the special speakers who taught us so much this year.

Some photos of the Enzian trips:

PEACE DAY 2009!

2009-09-23T12:51:00.000-07:00

September 2009

The Service Learning Council and Volunteer Public Service classes sponsored U.N. International Day of Peace as a day to reflect upon peace and to promote friendship and tolerance at TCHS.

Our friends, Dr. Noel Brown and Rusudan Grigolia from the United Nations were unable to attend because Ms. Grigolia was in a car accident in the Republic of Georgia. Students prepared get well cards for her and we wish her a speedy recovery.

After three weeks of work preparing for the Peace Art Exhibit at City Hall we were happy to have a day to celebrate!

Students competed in a Peace T-shirt contest today. Prizes were two tickets to both Universal Parks , provided by our generous partner, Mr. George Fuller, and gift certificates to Regal Cinema, Starbucks and Barnes and Noble. Judges were Principal John Wright, Asst. Principal Jeff Boettner, Media Specialist Pat Franklin and the academy's foreign language teacher, Gudrun Martyny.

After the T-shirt contest, the students sponsored Peace Day Celebration in the auditorium. Service Learning Academy President Chris Martin welcomed everyone and spoke about the significance of the U.N. International Day of Peace.

Service Learning Council member Gilbert Aurelus spoke to the students about the campaign to bring awareness to the problem of piracy off of the coast of Somalia. He explained that the 1,000 cranes on the stage were created as a wish to free the 22 member crew of the MV Irene that was held captive for 5 months. After the students reached the goal of making 1,000 origami cranes they learned that the pirates released the hostages. (read about this issue important here.)

The Global Peace Film Festival provided the movie, Africa's Daughters. Our guest speaker was the film's producer, Natalie Halpern. The movie is described in the catalog:

"Two Ugandan girls with one big dream: to lift themselves and their families out of poverty.  To do that, they have to challenge cultural traditions and graduate from high school, something all but impossible for most African girls.  “Africa’s Daughters” captures their inspiring journey."

The movie made us appreciate what we have and realize how easy it is for students in the United States as compared to students in Africa who struggle to get an education. The movie showed gender discrimination and other obstacles the students had to overcome to get educated.

Here our some photos from our Peace Day.

PEACE ART EXHIBIT! 2009

2009-09-22T13:14:00.000-07:00

September 21, 2009

To commemorate the UN International Day of Peace, the 4th Annual Peace Art Exhibit sponsored by the OCPS Service Learning Program and the Global Peace Film Festival was held today at Orlando City Hall. Over two hundred students, teachers, administrators, parents and community members attended the event.

There were nearly 300 pieces of student art submitted this year from Orange County Public Schools. A committee of students and teachers selected the 180 pieces to be displayed in the Rotunda. Another committee selected the winners of the show for each category: K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12. Students from the TCHS Service Learning Council cut mat, mounted art, made labels and helped to set up the show. The volunteers of the Global Peace Film Festival hosted an array of healthy food.

First, second and third place winners received ribbons, certificates, 4 tickets to the Global Peace Film Festival and Barnes and Noble gift certificates. OCPS Service Learning Coordinator Wendy Doromal, Global Peace Film Festival Executive Director Nina Streich and Service Learning Trainer Christie Woods presented the awards to the artists.

Here are some photos of the event:

4th Annual Peace Art Exhibit at City Hall: Peace Today, Tomorrow, Forever!

2009-09-16T16:57:00.000-07:00

September 16, 2009

Monday, September 21, 2009 is the United Nations International Day of Peace. Celebrate with us at the Orlando City Hall as we present the 5th Annual Peace Art Exhibit sponsored by the OCPS Service Learning Program and the Global Peace Film Festival.

The theme of this year's show is Peace Today, Tomorrow, Forever. Students from grades K-2 created art to promote peace and tolerance.

The annual art exhibit is a service learning project of the TCHS Service Learning Academy and this year it took the council and 4 volunteer public service classes to prepare for the exhibit. We received art from 38 Orange County schools. It took two weekends and a week of work to catalogue, select the art for the show, and mount the 178 pieces for the exhibit. We also prepared labels for each piece. Students Zohaad, Rainel and Nicole assisted Mrs. Doromal and Mr. Gardner to set up the art show at Orlando City Hall.

Mrs. Doromal said that she was excited by the talent and creativity of the students. She also noted that more schools are participating each year.

The reception will take place on Monday, September 21 at 3:00 p.m. at the Orlando City Hall. All student artists, teachers, administrators and the public are welcome to attend. Speakers are Dr. Noel Brown and Rusudan Grigolia from the Friends of the United Nations. Nina Streich, Executive Director of the Global Peace Film Festival and Wendy Doromal OCPS Service Learning Coordinator will present the awards to the artists.

PLEASE CELEBRATE PEACE WITH US!

Some photos of the students preparing for the exhibit and a sneak preview of the show:

Free the Crew of the MV Irene

2009-09-09T18:36:00.000-07:00

September 11, 2009

Each year we have a calendar of service learning projects that we are working on, but there are issues and problems in the community and world that inspire us to act also. This month is the Month of Peace at TCHS and the issue of making sure that the world's sailors are safe from pirates has come to our attention.

This year, Mrs. D. told us that the Filipino crew of the ship, the M.V. Irene was captured by pirates along the coast of Somalia in Africa. One of the crew members is Joven (Bob) Casas who is the brother of Mrs. D's friend, Gemma Casas a reporter for the Marianas Variety newspaper in the Marianas Islands where Mrs. D used to live.

Ms. Gemma and some of her friends, including Mrs. D., have set up a Facebook Page, Liberate Pirate Hostages that gives information on the hostage situation of the MV Irene. It also calls on people to sign a petition for their freedom. We are asking you to sign too!

Service Learning Council student Gilbert Aurelis has taken the lead in promoting awareness on this issue and in getting students, faculty and community members to sign the petition. There is a display and table set up during lunches.

Other students in the VPS Class and Ms. Shannon's art class have adopted the project of creating 1,000 cranes. The tradition of folding 1,000 paper cranes comes from the story of Sadako Sasaki, a Japanese girl who contracted Leukemia as a result of radiation from the atomic bombing of Hiroshima during World War II.

When she was in the hospital Sadako's best friend came to visit her. She cut a golden piece of paper into a square and folded it into a paper crane. Inspired by the crane, Sadako started folding them herself, thinking of the Japanese saying that the one who folds a 1,000 cranes will be granted a wish. She never reached 1,000 before she died. Her friends folded the remainder of the cranes and she is buried with 1,000 cranes. There is a monument for her in Japan where visitors from all over the world leave paper cranes.

Today people around the world fold cranes as a symbol of peace and hope. Maybe you would like to fold one today as a hope for peace on this anniversary of the 9-11 terrorist attacks. Get the directions at this website. (It's a video!)

We reached folding 1,000 cranes! Next week we will be stringing them for the UN International Day of Peace Assembly and then will send them to Ms. Gemma and her family.

The capture of the MV Irene is not an isolated incident. Over 40 ships have been captured by pirates off of the Somali coast and over 200 hostages are waiting to be freed. We hope that the petition will get government officials to act on this threat to the world's sailors. The cost of human life is worth more than the cargo that the ships carry, but it will probably be a rise in the cost of goods as a result of piracy that gets world leaders to unite to solve this problem.

Below: Gilbert (on left, top photo) and council members set up their display during lunches to invite students and faculty to fold cranes and sign the petition to free the hostages of the MV Irene. In the evening, GIlbert types the names and email addresses in the online petition.

UPDATE:

We are excited to announce that the crew of the MV Irene was released! The ABS-CBN Philippine News Agency said:

The DFA stated that Bright Maritime Corp., the local manning agency of MV Irene, confirmed the vessel’s release. The agency told the DFA that negotiations for the release of the vessel and its crew had been successful.

It can be recalled that MV Irene was hijacked last April 14, 2009 in the Gulf of Aden.

With MV Irene’s release, the number of Filipino seafarers still in the hands of Somali pirates has gone down to 20, involving two vessels.

On Monday, Agence France Presse reported the vessel’s release as announced by Andrew Mwangura, head of the Kenya-based East Africa Seafarers Assistance Programme.

Immigrants, Migrant Farm Workers, & Related Environmental Issues - This Year's Service Learning Academy Theme and Focus

2009-08-30T04:58:00.000-07:00

August 26, 2009

"The end of all education should surely be service to others." - Cesar E. Chavez

Do you have books you know you will never read again? Sort through those cluttered book cases and closets and donate the books to the SLA Book Drive. The books will be donated to the Hope CommUnity Center in Apopka, Florida to benefit the migrant farm workers and their children.

The Hope CommUnity Center, formerly known as The Office for Farmworker Ministry, is a community-based organization founded in 1971. The Ministry has worked continually to meet the needs of the ever-growing number of farmworker and immigrant families residing in Central Florida. Over the years, the Ministry has fostered the development of many self-help, community and worker organizations to meet basic human needs.

This year the Service Learning Academy has adopted immigration, migrant workers, and related environmental issues as the central theme for service learning projects. Partners include the Global Peace Film Festival, Rollins College, the University of Central Florida, the Hope CommUnity Center, Catholic Charities, the Farmworkers Association of Central Florida, the Health Department of Orange County, Mexican Consulate and other organizations who will help us to promote awareness on the need for comprehensive immigration reform and to address issues related to our Central Florida migrant farm workers.

We will partner with Rollins College students to investigate what happened to Lake Apopka, called a "dead" lake. Toxic pesticides from farmlands surrounding the lake have poisoned the water and killed fish and wildlife. Cries were raised calling for the restoration of the lake and prevention to save the impacted wildlife. But what about the farm workers who were exposed to the pesticides?

Last April during our Earth Day celebration we attended a movie made by Rollins College students that brought awareness to the plight of the Apopka farm workers. Two former farm workers attended the screening and related their tragic stories. They had worked in the fields since they were young children. Now their skin is scarred from pesticide-related disease and they suffer from chronic illnesses related to the exposure to the pesticides. They told us that former farm workers who toiled in those fields have died or are very sick. The service learning council decided to raise awareness on this issue and help these people who bring food to our tables.

This year service learning academy students will be meeting with and interviewing migrant farm workers. We are compiling their stories and publishing a book to bring awarenes to their issues, to promote the use of safe pesticides and chemicals, and to try to help get medical treatment for farm workers in need.

We are also interviewing immigrants and publishing their stories. There is a lot of misinformation about why the newest immigrants have come to the United States and sometimes their valuable contributions to our community are ignored. Mr. Casas, a TCHS guidance counselor, came to the U.S. from Mexico. His story reflects the struggle of many of those who come to the U.S. in search of the American dream. Mr. Casas is helping us to partner with the Mexican Consulate in our projects and with the non-English speaking students.

Fourth period VPS students will be tutoring Ms. Timm's multi-cultural class students this year. These students recently moved to the United States and have low level English skills. Some speak no English. We will work to raise their reading, writing and speaking skills. They will join us in our service learning projects, helping us to glean the fields, meeting and interviewing the farm workers and immigrants, and working with the children of the migrant farm workers.

We will be reading several books and learning about the farm workers and immigrants: The Devil's Highway by Luis Aberto Urrera, Across a Hundred Mountains by Reyna Grande, and The Human Cost of Food: Farmworkers' Lives, Labor and Advocacy by Charles Dillard. Thompson and Melinda Wiggins.

We will also be using the Cesar Chavez Foundation curriculum in our classes. We will sponsor a Cesar Chavez service learning project to mark the anniversary of the birth of this great American hero, in March 2010. Students will also conduct advocacy efforts to get Cesar Chavez's birthday recognized as a state holiday.

The academy students and teachers will host the 6th Annual District Service Learning Conference. This year the workshops will relate to issues affecting farm workers, immigrants and environmental and economic issues related to the use of pesticides and production of food. We are working to line up some exciting workshop presenters and speakers!

We will also be tutoring immigrants to help them to pass the U.S. citizenship test.

Many of us are immigrants! We come from Central and South American countries, Europe, Canada, Asian and Caribbean nations. We bring diversity and culture to TCHS and Orlando. We would also like to promote our cultural diversity and highlight the contributions of immigrants through service learning projects.

Right now we are writing a State Farm Youth Advisory Board grant to help fund our project. We would like to be able to expand on what we can do and give mini-grants to our district's service learning councils so that they can work with non-English speaking and limited English-speaking immigrants in their schools to help raise their English skills. We would like to publish our books with real publishers so we can spread the word and advocate for the immigrants and migrant farm workers and their families. We would like to expand out district conference to be two days and include notable speakers and presenters.

We invite you to work as a partner with us in this project!

LYNX Honors COMPACT

2009-04-23T18:05:00.001-07:00

April 2009

This was a special day for our educational partner, the Orlando/Orange County Compact Program! Lynx held a ceremony to unveil the 2009 Lynx Public Service bus. Ten non-profit organizations to be featured for a year on their bus. COMPACT was one of the winners! George Fuller, COMPACT's Executive Director, Program Manager Rocky Robinson, COMPACT board members, mentors, and teachers attended the ceremony held at the Amway Arena. Teacher Nydia Chaves, student Micka Chavre, and OCPS Service Learning Coordinator Wendy Doromal attended from TCHS.

After the award ceremony, Mr. Fuller treated Rocky Robinson and the TCHS party to a wonderful lunch at the Grand Bohemian.

COMPACT is celebrating their 20th year this year. In 1989 COMPACT was launched with a pilot program of 15 students and mentors at Jones High School. Since then, COMPACT has touched the lives of over 10,000 youth. COMPACT is a business-education partnership that targets struggling students. It incorporates service learning, strengthening of fundamental courses, career choices, and study skills with mentoring program that has proven to be the recipe for success for students to improve grades, attendance and behavior.

Each year COMPACT takes about 20 OCPS COMPACT and service learning students to Washington, DC for an unforgettable all-expenses paid trip. COMPACT is one of the most successful programs in Orange County. We'll be looking for the logo on the bus!

Green Week - Earth Day!

2009-04-23T18:04:00.003-07:00

April 22, 2009

Earth Week at the TCHS Service Learning Academy was celebrated with school and community partners to promote environmental issues and to teach how to use recycled materials.

The Service Learning Academy brought over 800 TCHS and OCPS student to the Enzian Theater where students saw environmental films from the Global Peace Film Festival. After each film students were engaged in question and answer sessions with filmmakers and environmental guest speakers. The films and speakers were the inspiration for service learning theme that students selected for the next school year - immigration and migrant farm workers issues.

Two former farm workers who worked in fields by Lake Apopka told how they were suffering from pesticide related illnesses after filmmakers shared a film about the issue. The film was made by two Rollins College students.

Academy students worked for weeks to create an Earth Day Celebration at TCHS. They set up booths and displays where students could learn to use recycled trash to create useful objects.

Students from the Sunrise Elementary School service learning classes were our guests. They moved from station to station learning how to make beads and necklaces from recycled magazines; belts from aluminum can tabs; purses and wallets from Capri Sun containers; musical instruments from paper towel holders, shoe boxes, and other containers; bird feeders and houses from plastic milk and juice containers; ornaments from soda cans; and other recycling projects.

The academy students also gave each Sunrise student four environmental books that they wrote and published. The books used characters and storied to teach how to save energy at home, protecting the oceans and habitats of sea turtles and other marine animals, and protecting endangered species such as Florida manatees. They ended the celebration with academy students hosting their younger environmentalists to lunch.

Invisible Children

2009-04-23T18:04:00.001-07:00

April 2009

The Service Learning Council and the TCHS Students for Peace teamed up to host Invisible Children for a day at Timber Creek High School. Over 1,600 students and teachers heard the story of the Rescue and the child soldiers of Uganda.

From the Invisible Children web site:

In the spring of 2003, three young filmmakers traveled to Africa in search of a story. What started out as a filmmaking adventure transformed into much more when these boys from Southern California discovered a tragedy that disgusted and inspired them, a tragedy where children are both the weapons and the victims.

After returning to the States, they created the documentary "Invisible Children: Rough Cut," a film that exposes the tragic realities of northern Uganda.s night commuters and child soldiers.

The film was originally shown to friends and family, but has now been seen by millions of people. The overwhelming response has been, "How can I help?" To answer this question, the non-profit Invisible Children, Inc. was created, giving compassionate individuals an effective way to respond to the situation.

...The war in northern Uganda has been called the most neglected humanitarian emergency in the world today. For the past 23 years, the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) and the Government of Uganda (GoU) have been waging a war that has left nearly two million innocent civilians caught in the middle. The GoU's attempt to protect its citizens from this rebel militia has largely failed, resulting in an entire generation of youth that has never known peace.

Invisible Children works to educate people to the plight of the people in the Sudan.

TCHS students signed up to volunteer at and attend the April 25th Rescue. They are working to call attention to the plight of victims of the Lord's Resistance Army, a rebel group which has fought against Uganda's government since 1987. The LRA is led by Joseph Kony, who claims to be a spirit medium.

About 1,000 students joined the rescue in Orlando to call attention to the tragedy in the Sudan and advocate for change through bringing attention to the issue and writing letters to policy makers. "Rescues" took place in cities across America.

Here are some photos of the TCHS event and a video of the Orlando Rescue.

Raise Your Voice For Service Learning: Tallahassee Trip!

2009-03-15T18:23:00.000-07:00

March 27, 2009

Students and teachers from the TCHS Service Learning Academy travelled to Tallahassee for two days of service learning activities!

We participated in a the "Raise Your Voice for Service Learning Conference", celebrated Florida Service Learning month at the State Capitol, met with legislators, and received recognition for being a new Florida Service Learning Leader School. Over 300 students and teachers attended the conference. It was fantastic!

Students Andrew Boulier and Kaley Wyker presented a workshop at the conference on how to make a Public Service Announcement to promote your service learning project. (workshop here)

One of the highlights of the trip was the Awards Banquet sponsored by State Farm. Nine Florida Schools were presented with banners, plaques and pins for being named Florida Service Learning Leader Schools. The Florida Service-Learning Leader Schools were recognized for exemplary integration of student service into the curriculum and the life of the school. Winners receive state-level recognition and are eligible to apply for supplemental funds from the Florida Department of Education’s Florida Learn & Serve program for three years.

In addition, Leader Schools receive the honor of being "active winners" for three years. As active winners, they serve as models of excellence, while encouraging and assisting others in making service to the community an important application of curricula and other school activities. They develop and disseminate resources, give presentations and trainings, help others with replication efforts, and are ambassadors for service learning. A Florida Service-Learning Leader School must demonstrate service-learning that enhances student learning, addresses community needs, is integrated into the life and mission of the school, and is designed to meet both student and community needs.

We also set up displays at the State Capitol and met with our legislators to present them with information on our Service Learning Academy. Some said they would like to visit our academy!