Learning to Give, Philanthropy education resources that teach giving and civic engagement

Age:

• 12-18

Philanthropy is:

• Giving, serving and private citizen action intended for the common good.

Purpose:

• This activity introduces participants to constructive ways to affect positive social change through philanthropy.

Objectives:

The young person will:

• learn an effective and thoughtful process for creating positive change.
• understand how young people can constructively impact social change by becoming advocates, and the relationship of advocacy to philanthropy.
  

Activity Theme:

“One by one…Each of us can…Help a neighbor…Lend a hand”

~Wayne Meisel, “Get Up, Act Up, Shape Up the World, A Guide to Today’s Heroes,” a project of the Hitachi Foundation, The National Youth Leadership Council, and the Points of Light Foundation

Activity Steps:

• Read the poem “Get Up, Act Up, Shape Up the World” to the group (scroll to bottom of page to view). Explain that the session will introduce the process for social change to bring about the betterment of all. Participants will be able to select a community problem, design a process for change, and recruit others to the cause through small group activities and role-playing.
• THINK ABOUT IT ACT ON IT STAND FOR IT
  The facilitator forms small groups, four-five per group, and asks them to find a quiet place in the room. Pass a hat or box around containing the scenarios of community problems that need to be addressed. Each small group takes one. After each small group has their scenario, they are to:
  THINK ABOUT IT
• The small groups should take their scenario and begin to write down or draw some ideas on how their group and/or how individuals might address the community need. Brainstorm for about 5 minutes.
  ACT ON IT
• After the small group has brainstormed, they are to decide how to address the need. They plan a short presentation about the need and how they plan to address it. Each small group’s goal is to recruit the members of the other groups to help them address their community need.
  STAND FOR IT
• After each group makes their presentation, each participant must decide which of the community needs is the one they want to work on. It may not be the one they presented but another one. Each person goes to that group and stands with them. Each participant should listen to his or her heart when making this choice: What spoke to him/her?
  LIVE IT
• With the new groups formed, the facilitator gives each member of the group a Live It handout (scroll to bottom of page to view). The participants are to plan how they as a group and/or individual might begin the process of change for that community need. They should keep this handout and check on their progress throughout the year.
• Ask the group to consider the actions taken on behalf of change.
  A person needs to think about it.
  A person needs to act on it.
  A person needs to stand for it.
  A person needs to live it.
• People sometimes spend a lot of time thinking about an issue, such as the homeless, and while they care, they just think about it. Sometimes people take the issue of the homeless and act on it by volunteering at the rescue mission or shelter helping adults deliver food or fill meal trays. Sometimes people stand for it by talking to their family and friends about the problems of the homeless and getting their support to help. Each of the acts is important, but if the goal is to have change occur, then a person needs to do all three.
• Begin a discussion with the group on the citizen responsibility to impact policies and laws: such as writing to legislators, keeping informed on issues, voting, making presentations, writing articles, etc.
  

Processing Questions:

1. Describe what you liked about the activity and why?
2. Can you name additional ways to:
   -Think on It?
   -Act on It?
   -Stand on It?
   -Live It?
3. In what ways is it important to do all of the above steps?
4. What were some of the reasons you chose the need you wanted to address?
5. How do the four steps apply to other decisions you make in your everyday life? How does it help you grow as a person?
6. How do these four steps apply to caring and sharing for others?
7. What would happen if citizens did not take a stand on issues in which they believe?
8. In what ways does a democracy promote civic action of this sort and in what ways does it hinder it?
9. What problems or challenges have some of you already addressed for the betterment of others and the community? How did it work? How did it feel? Would you influence others to do the same? Why or why not? How?
   
   The facilitator should close this session by explaining “Think about It, Act on It, Stand for It and Live It” is the process for change. Remember what every person does is important. Each action taken is part of a bigger process to create an increasingly more positive society. In the process each individual will experience personal human growth and development, even when things don’t go exactly as planned.
   

Variation:

If the facilitator thinks the poem is age-appropriate, reread the poem or ask a participant to read it. (Give participants the definition of idealism: the practice of seeing things, as they ought to be rather than as they actually are.) The facilitator opens up a discussion about the poem:

1. What does “idealism” mean to you?

2. Are you and your friends likely to believe the same way as the author of this poem? Why or why not?

Supplemental Activity:

Write your own poem on the topic.
Write to a legislator with a solution to a problem that you see.
Take a positive stand on an issue you believe in and tell about it!
Write an editorial to the newspaper about something in which you really believe.

Activity Source:

Think About It, Act On It, Stand for It
Adapted from Community Partnerships with Youth Inc.
The Word for Me is Philanthropy

Additional Resources:

Interview a Volunteer
Learning to Give Lesson (Grades K-2) “Ask a Volunteer”
Unit “Volunteering as Good Work”
Three: http://www.learningtogive.org/lessons/unit164/lesson3.html

Actions for Giving
Learning to Give Lesson (Grades K-2) “Alphabody ABCs of Giving"
Unit “Phil Up On the Arts”

NOTE: The idea for this activity came from a publication, “Get Up, Act Up, Shape Up the World. A guide for Today’s Heroes.” The resource comes with a video, “Today’s Heroes.” For more information on the resource and video, contact:

The Points of Light Foundation
1737 H Street, NW
Washington DC 20006
(202) 223-9186

 

 

Attachment One

Get Up, Act Up, Shape Up the World

A Poem

Idealism is
The nature of youth
It ain’t no lie
I speak the truth

One by One
Each of us can
Help a neighbor
Lend a hand

With Russia and China
There will be no war
I’ll serve my country
By helping the poor

So let freedom ring
Keep hope alive
When youth are leading
Our dreams will thrive

Wayne Meisel

 

 

 

Attachment Two

LIVE IT!

The need:



How will you and your group live it?
Today:



Tomorrow:



Next week:



Two weeks from now:



By the end of the month, I will have lived it by:



Signed:

 

 

 

Attachment Three

Scenarios

Scenarios should be cut off, folded, and placed in a hat or box. A blank has been provided for a special problem in your community. Each small group selects one. Skits are planned from the scenario and participants have an opportunity to choose the cause they want to work on in the weeks ahead.

Scenario #1
In reading the newspaper, the participants discovered that the city parks and recreation department was concerned about the condition of the playground equipment in several parks. The equipment is rusting and the play area is littered with paper, glass and cans. The area is not appealing to children and families to play in or have a picnic. The parks department does not have enough staff to be able to paint and fix-up these parks. What might your group do to help this situation? Think About It; Act on It; Stand for It: begin the process of change.

Scenario #2
The hospital is concerned about the lack of books and play equipment for the children who visit the hospital with their families. Many times the children have to wait in an area with adults while their family members visit a sick relative. They have space for a child’s play area but need help with furnishing and decorating and with things for the children to do. What might your group do to help this situation? Think About It; Act on It; Stand for It: begin the process of change.

Scenario #3
There were several pictures in the local newspaper of the roadways leading into the city. The comments of the report stated that this was not a very positive image of the city for people arriving. The roadways were littered with paper, cans, bottles and weeds. The reporter mentioned the “Adopt a Highway” program and wondered about starting that in the city. What might your group do to help this situation? Think About It; Act on It; Stand for It: begin the process of change.

Scenario #4
The teachers were talking in the teacher’s lounge about the reading and listening skills of the children in kindergarten and first grade. “Individual help would be the best,” said one of the kindergarten teachers. “But I just don’t have enough time in the day to give each student individual help.” So many parents work that it is difficult to get homeroom volunteers. What might your group do to help this situation? Think About It; Act on It; Stand for It: begin the process of change.

Scenario #5
One of the sixth grade students noticed the increased number of Hispanic students in the school. He knew how they felt because he had come to the United States from Haiti several years ago. He got to thinking what the class might do to make these students feel welcome to the school. He thought about language and custom barriers and decided to ask the class to brainstorm some ideas. What might your group do if you were members of this class? Think About It; Act on It; Stand for It: begin the process of change.

Scenario #6
Lauren has a brother with Muscular Dystrophy. She knows how much it costs to care for her brother with medicine, therapy and special equipment. She would like to help Jerry Lewis with his telethon in September. She feels it is important not only to raise money for research but to provide information to people about the disease. What might your group do to help her? Think About It; Act on It; Stand for It: begin the process of change.

Scenario #7
One of the participants in the training has a grandmother in a local nursing home. She knows that many of the elderly in the home do not have any visitors coming to see them. Her grandmother tells her that these people are very sad and lonely. She wishes something could be done to brighten their days. What might your group do to help her? Think About It; Act on It; Stand for It: begin the process of change.

Scenario #8
The animal shelter would like to inform the public about the number of nice dogs and cats they have available for adoption. The local television station helps them out once a week but they hope to reach even more potential pet owners. What might your group do to help the shelter? Think About It; Act on It; Stand for It: begin the process of change.

Scenario #9
A need in our local community is….. Think About It; Act on It; Stand for It: begin the process of change.

Philanthropy Theme Framework :

Strand Standard Benchmark PHIL II. Philanthropy and Civil Society PCS01. Self, citizenship, and society MS 4. Describe the characteristics of someone who helps the community. PHIL II. Philanthropy and Civil Society PCS01. Self, citizenship, and society HS 4. Describe and give examples of characteristics of good citizens in a democracy.