“No act of kindness,
no matter how small,
is ever wasted.”
~ Aesop
In a world that appears to get more chaotic and splintered every day, it can be easy to become jaded and cynical. After all, what good can one person really do? Unfortunately, far too many people in this country use that sentiment to remain isolated from their fellow man. It is an apathy that is contagious and frightening.
Fortunately, there are those within our community that still believe in the power of kindness. They understand that one person can truly make a difference, even if just for one other person. Students at Horizon Middle School in Moorhead are not letting excuses keep them from serving the community. Under the direction of teachers Alyssa Coop and Brian Cole, these students are proving that no act of kindness is wasted.
Builder’s Club:
Coop is a first-year teacher at Horizon, but she is no stranger to helping others. “Service work has been the foundation upon which I have built my life so far,” she explained. “It started in grade school, continued into high school, and helped to define my years at Concordia College, too.” Coop has found the experience of advising the school’s Builders Club incredibly rewarding. “It almost multiplies that ‘good feeling’ you get from service because now you can provide that for students who can incorporate services into their lives – now and in the future.”
The Builders Club has had a busy fall and winter. The many activities they were involved with include organizing donations at Churches United, doing crafts with the residents at Eventide Senior Living, hosting a fundraiser for UNICEF’s Eliminate Project, making homemade dog treats for 4 Luv of Dog, making tie blankets for the kittens at Cat’s Cradle, and working at the McDonald House in Fargo.
The busy year does not mean the club is satisfied with their contributions. In the upcoming weeks, students will assist at the Great Plains Food Bank, host a dance/activity night to benefit Feed My Starving Children, pack meals for FMSC, serve at the Emergency Food Pantry, and help out at the YWCA.
Student Ambassadors:
Not to be outdone, Cole’s Student Ambassadors are doing their own part in changing the world around them. There are 40 students in the program, each of whom have been nominated by their teachers. In addition to completing six or seven service projects per year, students learn the 20 character traits of leadership. “My personal mantra is to teach life lessons the students can take and apply to other areas,” Cole explained. “One of my models is to be a servant leader.”
Horizon’s Student Ambassadors work to make their mark within both the school and the community. Past service learning projects include assisting at the annual Fill the Dome event, hosting a staff breakfast, and participating in Mental Health month.
Possibly more importantly, Student Ambassadors work to impact the culture and character of the school. To that end, the students have placed “Hope You Have a Nice Day” notecards on all student lockers, created videos for incoming sixth graders, helped create the now famous school-wide lip dub last year, provided all bus drivers with thank-you cards, picked up trash within and around the school, and modeled positive character traits like compassion and composure
February is National Kindness Month and according to Cole, the group has some plans in the works. “We like to be an invisible presence,” he said. “We focus on people receiving, not giving.”
Both Coop and Cole agree that the essence of service work is developing young people that will continue to impact the world around them. “We want to create effective leaders,” Cole explained. “We teach them that you can be a leader where you are; you don’t have to be a basketball star or the winner of a spelling bee.”
Coop believes that the students benefit from being in a group setting outside of class. “Just like with athletics or the arts, they learn how to lead, work as a team, and communicate effectively.” She also understands that service work teaches students to be compassionate and empathetic. “They learn what issues society has – on a community, national, and international level – and they learn their role in solving them,” she said.
Service groups have existed at Horizon for many years. Both the Student Ambassador program and the Builders Club have recently been created or resurrected, however. It is a testament to the school culture that advisors have stepped forward to do their part. The establishment of that type of culture in any organization starts at the top. “Our amazing principal, Jeremy Larson, has always supported these service activities and fostered the culture in the school,” Cole said. “I’m thankful to work in this school and explore these activities for our students, and I am thankful for a principal who values these things.”
Coop would like to invite non-profits or anyone with service project ideas to contact her via email at acoop@moorheadschools.org or by phone at 218-284-7363. In addition, the group is always in need of additional chaperones for their projects.
The best portion of a good man’s life is his little, nameless, unremembered acts of kindness and love.”
~ William Wordsworth
