School's bake sales, garden projects done to help others

NEW YORK — At many schools, bake sales pay for trips or pizza parties. If teachers solicit art supplies, they use them in the classroom. And when kids grow seedlings for science, they take their plants home in little Styrofoam cups.

But at a public school in Red Hook, Brooklyn, "caring is part of the curriculum," says principal Sara Belcher-Barnes. So when fifth-graders raised $300 through bake sales, they donated it to Haiti and the Dominican Republic. When third-graders collected art supplies, they shipped them to a village in Ghana. And when second-graders grew lettuce and radishes, they made a salad for a Red Hook senior center.

"I was happy, because I gave something to the senior citizens," Kymani Jackson, 8, proudly explained. "They said it was really good."

Kymani's school, P.S. 27, is one of many schools nationwide encouraging students to find ways to make the world a better place.

Its philosophy was inspired by an organization called Expeditionary Learning Schools, part of the Outward Bound wilderness adventure organization. Expeditionary Learning — now in place in 150 schools in 32 states — helps teachers integrate academic learning with community service, field trips and other real-world experiences.

So, for example, Kymani and his gardening classmates also studied math and science. "We measured things to see how much they could grow, how long it would take, looking at different timelines, doing germination logs," said their teacher, Sandra Vizcaino.

While they learned a lot about plants, they also learned "they can be compassionate," said Vizcaino. "Although they're small, they can make a difference."

Mayor Mike Bloomberg has encouraged schools to form partnerships with corporations and nonprofits, and some community service has grown out of those relationships. Elementary schools have raised money for UNICEF through reading marathons and penny harvests. High schools have participated in the annual AIDS Walk. And sometimes community service is aimed at the school itself, with students working alongside volunteers from Wall Street firms to paint classrooms.

While improving academics and graduation rates are the top priorities, "we also want our students, when they leave us, to become very productive adults. And community service does that," said Marge Feinberg, spokeswoman for the city Department of Education.

Red Hook is a gritty, working-class and somewhat isolated section of Brooklyn. Nearly all the students are black or Hispanic, and fewer than 40 percent meet state standards in reading and math.