Clothes for Service
Social Studies but easily adapted to other subject areas.
Grade Level:
Appropriate for 8-12
Selected students will develop a Service Learning partnership with a local community based organization (St. Vincent de Paul Society Thrift Store). This Service Learning Activity will consist of three parts.
1. Bags of Service, a mini clothing drive for the homeless.
2. Service Learning Volunteer Activity at the St. Vincent de Paul Society Thrift Store. Culling donated clothing
3. A Thrift Store Fashion Show from clothing selected while volunteering at the center.
Many of Baltimore's citizens need extra clothing, especially in the colder months. Students recognize this need by bringing in unwanted but useful clothing and donating it to the St. Vincent's Thrift Store. Because this community based organization is completely nonprofit, it needs volunteers to help separate, distribute, and bundle donated items.
Students will:
- gain an understanding of how to conserve the resources of a community by donating old, outdated, or outgrown clothes
- demonstrate how clothing can be recycled by selecting clothing from the thrift store for personal use
Students will:
- learn that their donations and purchases help support the needy
- demonstrate the concepts of civic virtue and common welfare
- meet the 1997 Maryland graduation requirement regarding Service Learning
Lessons include video, readings, guest speaker, and discussion. Field trip handouts include a description of the Service Learning activity as well as a permission form for the students to have signed by their teachers and parents. Information will be dispersed for their mini clothing drive
Students will collect and travel to donate their old clothes to the St. Vincent de Paul Society Thrift Store (any non profit thrift store). Students will donate their services to the St. Vincent de Paul Society Store. This activity has been prearranged. Students will be allowed to select one bag of clothes while volunteering at the center. This bag will be used for their Thrift Store Fashion Show. A combination reflection and celebration activity.
Using the clothes that the students selected from the field trip: the students will conduct a "Thrift Store Fashion Show." The students will determine the winners of the previously selected categories (e.g. sporty, chic, funniest, etc.). Students will write a summary of the experiences, what they liked or dislike and how they would improve the service activity. Students will share their service experiences in small and large groups.