Recent news and tragedies happening around the world have made people lose hope in the fate of society. A preschool in Manhattan is taking action with their young students, aged 2-5, to show them that the world is a good place when you are kind and give back. Columbus Pre-School has launched their charity volunteer program Columbus Cares: Preschoolers Making a Difference. Each of the school’s nine classrooms will be choosing a charity in New York City to complete service-oriented and learning projects at throughout the year.
Similar community service programs have been available at the school for the last 10 years, but they have never been a formal part of the children’s education. School founder’s Peggy and Bill Gluck made the decision to officially implement the program as a part of the “kindness” curriculum in honor of their upcoming 30th anniversary. The school’s mission has always been for their students to be good citizens and help others, and this new program will do just that. Teachers, parents, and community members are coming together to mold the minds of young people and teach them how to give back and be kind.
With the child-centered program in full effect, parents and teachers are making sure that the students are included in the process of choosing charities. They look for non-profit organizations focusing on the environment, homeless, hungry, and arts. Charities already signed on to the program include Central Park Conservancy and City Harvest. The children are taught a curriculum based on their classroom charity organization as well as taking part in hands-on volunteer activities both inside and outside of the classroom. The teachers in each classroom will visit the charity organizations once per semester and report back to their classes about their experience.
Columbus Pre-School is taking the initiative and prioritizing teaching their students kindness and compassion while their minds are still open and young. They are shaping the next generation to be good people and to make the world a better place. Hopefully other schools will follow their lead and implement a similar project of their own because after all, children can change the world.
For additional information, please contact Kiah Gluck at info@columbuspre-school.com or call (212) 721-0090; and visit columbuspre-school.com!
