Scottsdale students make a difference in community

More than 150 Scottsdale students will be spending Saturday, Oct. 23, with Navajo and Yavapai elementary school students participating in the HORSENSE program and helping seniors plan a rummage sale. These are just a few of the volunteer activities that will be performed on “Make A Difference Day.”

“Make A Difference Day” is a national day of helping others, created by USA WEEKEND Magazine. This annual event takes place on the fourth Saturday of every October.

“Make A Difference Day is another great way for our students to give back to the community,” said John Baird, director of Community Schools and Service Learning.

SUSD’s Service Learning Program combines service to the community with classroom studies in a way that improves student learning while strengthening the community.

“Real life experiences like this one allow students to understand that the skills and knowledge acquired in the daily classroom do have relevance,” Mr. Baird said.

This Saturday, Scottsdale Unified School District (SUSD) students will be volunteering by:

• Helping seniors with daily chores and planning for a rummage sale at the Scottsdale Civic Center/Senior Center and new Ventura Senior Center
   
• Participating in the HORSENSE program at Rawhide. Service Learning students will be assisting Navajo and Yavapai elementary school students
   
• Painting curbs and cleaning the arboretum at the McCormick Stillman Railroad Park
   
• Cleaning up the Nature Park on Hayden Road

Service Learning is celebrating its 11 th anniversary. More than 600 students are involved with Service Learning programs at Arcadia, Chaparral, Coronado, Desert Mountain and Saguaro high schools and Copper Ridge and Mohave middle schools this year.

High school and middle school students work in collaboration with community members, classmates, other schools and teachers to meet real community needs, while learning more about their academics, as well as civic responsibility and effective citizenship.

For more information on how you can serve in your community, please call:

Shannon Miller at Saguaro High School at 480-484-7200, ext. 3501
Shannon Painter at Arcadia High School at 480-484-6300, ext. 5705
Rob Aguilar at Coronado High School at 480-484-6800, ext. 5105
Jen Blomquist at Chaparral High School at 480-484-6500, ext. 5801
Shannon Miller at Desert Mountain High School at 480-484-7000, ext. 6263
Lynda Timbrooks at Copper Ridge Middle School at 480-484-1500 ext. 2416
Joyce Sawyer at Mohave Middle School at 480-484-5200, ext. 5205

More information about the Service Learning Program is available on the SUSD Web site at: http://www.susd.org/district/servicelearning/index.htm.

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