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Home > Penny Harvest Coach Writes about Community Service for “Manner of the Month” Website
February 27, 2008
Deanna Chappell Belcher, Service Learning Coordinator and Penny Harvest Coach at The School at Columbia University, recently wrote an article on how families can support their children getting involved in community service. Amongst the many tips she provided was, “involving your children’s school,” and she cited the Penny Harvest as an example of such an endeavor. Deanna writes that, “participating in service together can be an effective community-building tool within the school, as well as strengthening the school’s connection to the surrounding neighborhoods.” You can read the full article, and all of Deanna’s tips, by going to the Manner of Month website and clicking on the “sample issue;” look for the Professional Perspective’s column.
Deanna shares a common understanding with Common Cents that children, even at a young age, want to be involved in their community. She writes, “don’t underestimate your children’s ability to care or to make a positive impact in their communities.” The Penny Harvest enables children to do just that by putting them in charge of their own philanthropic funds. This activity, typically reserved for adults, allows children to build their moral and civic capacity and fosters habits that will last a lifetime.
Deanna is entering her fourth year as the Penny Harvest Coach at The School and is also a member of the Penny Harvest Educator Network, a group of committed teachers who provide guidance on the program as well as curriculum development. The School was a 06/07 School of Excellence, a distinction awarded to a select number of schools that best exemplify the ideals of the Penny Harvest. We congratulate Deanna on her continued efforts to engage children in service-oriented activities.
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