Good News Good Planet Schools
Service-Learning Projects
The capstone of the program is a presentation of a final Service-Learning Project
that students design and implement themselves.
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Radio Show Turns Students into Change Makers
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8th Grade 2024
Teacher: Kaila Dickey
The greatest benefit of the Good News Good Planet Schools program was the opportunity for students to consider their role as global citizens and open their awareness to the cool and exciting things other youth have done for their communities.
As an educator, I appreciated the clear process and curriculum as well as the opportunity for students to think beyond a surface level project and reach out into their larger communities.
There is SO much there! It has been an absolute pleasure to learn about this program. So much so, that it has inspired me to consider what resources I can create that might help with the large-scale crisis we are experiencing in mathematics for teachers and students.
Thank you so much!”
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Project: Raise Money for Taos Cancer Support Services
non-medical support to ease the burden and promote healing. Services include: Health care
navigation, support group meetings, grief support, fitness, health, and cancer coaching,
massage, yoga, acupuncture, and other modalities. Also provided is crucial assistance with
transportation costs like gas gift cards, lodging, and food, as the closest cancer services are
in Santa Fe, which is 75 miles south of Taos.
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Project: Stray Hearts Service Project
For our service project we volunteered at Stray Hearts Animal Shelter. We would play, socialize and care for the cats and dogs. We also donated food, toys, and treats.
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Project: Helping the Taos Youth Soccer League
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Project: Substance Use Podcast
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Project: Sheltering Hope
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Project: Our Service to the School Community
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Project: Play for Preschoolers
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Project: Personal Development
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Project: Parents Night Out
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Project: Raising Money to Make Food for Homeless People
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8th Grade Science
“This kind of project-based learning is about students taking ownership of their work. My kids designed and executed the project from start to finish. The greatest benefit for my class was learning that even though not everything goes as planned, they could figure it out and be proud of what they planned and eventually achieved.”
*Note: We hope to record and publish as many Service-Learning Project stories as possible!
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7th Grade
“GNGP Schools is an excellent resource for teaching civic engagement. Students learn about topics that interest them and they truly care for. The project-based learning allows the students to be met at their level of understanding and the hands-on experience is truly motivating for them.”
Scott Tennant – Teacher
Because they live in a high desert, the Taos Charter School 7th grade class wanted to add an aesthetic of water to their environment… without utilizing the scarce resource of actual water. If they could do this, they theorized that the “water” would add a calming effect and help the students feel better at school. This SLP was not only very artistic, but it also included a beautiful mindfulness element regarding the mental health of their fellow students. The 7th graders also reached out to the art department for help regarding painting rocks for outdoors and invited students in other grades to help them gather and paint the many rocks needed.
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7th & 8th Grade Global Studies
“Students get disheartened over the heaviness of issues in the world. Incorporating Good News Good Planet stories put a positive spin on things and the kids learned that even their small actions could make a positive impact in our local and global communities. They also gained the confidence to ask for what they needed to help get their voices heard.”
They created a flyer and posted it online in numerous social media spaces. They also printed the poster and distributed it locally to businesses and other public places around town. They found a reputable online donation site and were able to raise money and needed goods for the people of Ukraine.
“This project will have an impact on our local community because it will raise awareness for the war that is currently happening in Ukraine. Our project will have an impact globally because it will allow Ukrainian refugees to receive the resources they need to live in a healthier environment.”
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Some kids and their family don’t have enough money to buy clothes, or some families have to choose what’ more important to buy. It’s stressful for kids too, when they feel dirty or they feel like they don’t have what they need, and sometimes they get picked on at school by their classmates or treated differently by their teachers.
This will help students feel healthy and confident and can support parents when they need to spend money on other things such as food and electricity, medicine, or school supplies.”
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A colorful flyer took the often-taboo subject out of the dark by offering helpful self-inquiry and asked the question “Are You Ok?” with a link to encourage people to ask for help if they think they might need it.
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These kids not only created a flyer to raise awareness, but also recorded a PSA (Public Service Announcement). They wrote a letter, on school stationary, to a local radio station and shared their message.
You can listen to it here:
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