What can I do in 6th and 7th grade to get started on my Community Project?
Learn about an issue or need or help 8th graders to see how they do their projects. Be sure to document the time you spend investigating or helping in your service log.
How to Identify Needs
The first step is investigating what needs exist by observing in and around your neighborhood, school, community, city, state, nation or world. Before you choose your next service project, spend a little time observing the needs of the school and community. What issues or problems do you see in your daily lives-and how can you help? Keep track of your observations by writing them down. Then, talk about what you discovered with your advisors, teachers, family, and friends. You might find out you know someone who is directly affected by or involved with an issue, or you might find out you and your friends are interested in tackling the same problem.
Part of being service-minded is noticing the issues and conflicts around you in your everyday life and recognizing that you can make a difference.
Here's a way that you can practice this very important leadership skill:
1) In your clubs, classes, on the field, at lunch, and in your community observe your surroundings and what issues or problems you see.
2) In addition, reach out to your peers, parents and school administrators to see what problems they notice as well.
Here are four questions you can ask yourself when taking notes:
- What would make my school or community better?
- What problems exist in my school or community that I/we can help solve?
- Who do I know or see that could use my/our help?
- How can my next service project leave a lasting impact on our school and/or community?
3) Review your notes.
4) Choose one or two issues that you believe you can focus on with your next service project.
5) Share your ideas with your friends and family.Keep sharing ideas throughout your project.
6) Discuss and decide which service project you would like to start researching and planning.
Three young labor organizers made the long drive through rural California to meet famed farmworkers organizer Cesar Chavez. After their hard dusty journey, they sat with him and asked, "Cesar, how do you organize? " Cesar replied, "Well, first you talk to one person, then you talk to another person, then you talk to another person..."But, HOW DO YOU ORGANIZE?...they insisted. Cesar repeated. "First you talk to one person, then, you talk to another."
-http://66.39.116.85/publications/groups/making_that_first_contact.htm