Her child spent Friday night making labels for the clothes closet, despite the fact that we are truly in the infancy stage of this project. Take a moment to truly think about this. What does this picture represent? On the surface it looks like some white paper with labels on it. But it is so much more! It means that our scholars are invested. They have a purpose for their learning and I believe they will take that purpose to new heights that will impact others in a positive way.

It doesn’t matter that the word “sleeve” is misspelled (for now) because our students have brainstormed committees for this project. A committee of students will collaborate to determine which materials will be optimal for organization and functional for the space we have, label and organize items in the clothes closet and make flyers (with proper spelling and grammar). Another committee works on gathering donations and a third committee determines how students can access the clothes closet while maintaining their dignity and confidentiality at the same time. I say this not because these are my ideas, or what Mrs. Nolan and I have told students they need to work on. I say this because these are the ideas of our scholars!

The term purpose is defined as the reason for which something is done or created or for which something exists. Our scholars know their purpose for this project and in knowing their purpose they are not only learning the standards, but also building empathy and helping those in need in a positive way. Knowing their purpose is reinforcing their own value as little people who can make a BIG difference in the world!