BPMS students learning through service in home and careers

Near the end of the school year, students in Anna Kittredge’s home and careers classes at Broadalbin-Perth Middle School put their teamwork, creativity, and leadership skills into action by planning and completing a series of service projects designed to make a positive impact both in the school and throughout the community.

Rather than being assigned a project, students worked together to decide how they wanted to give back. Once each class selected its service initiatives, students divided into teams to coordinate projects, manage the budget, create task lists, gather materials, identify health and safety considerations, and keep each project on schedule. By taking ownership of every step of the process, students gained firsthand experience in planning, organization, collaboration, and problem-solving.

The classes completed four service projects throughout the final semester of the school year. One group of students visited Caitlin Richards’ kindergarten class to read “The Very Hungry Caterpillar” and complete a themed craft together, fostering a love of reading and building connections with younger students. Another group of students created welcome bracelets for incoming sixth- and seventh-grade students to help make the transition to Broadalbin-Perth Middle School a positive and exciting experience.

Beyond the school community, one group of students made friendship bracelets for local senior citizens, and the fourth group crafted dog toys using tennis balls and T-shirts, as well as homemade dog treats made from oatmeal, peanut butter, and bananas, to support dogs in local animal shelters.

Through these hands-on service projects, students developed valuable leadership, teamwork, communication, and project management skills while demonstrating one of the district’s core values, service. The students’ work showed that even small acts of generosity can have a meaningful impact on the lives of others.