Students at Buckeye Valley Middle School recently completed a service project and donated calming kits and care bags to the children staying at Turning Point.
Tina Francis, the career technical education coordinator at Buckeye Valley Middle School and the Delaware Area Career Center, said she has a good relationship with Turning Point and has had Robin McNeal, a teen advocate at Turning Point, speak to students about healthy relationships. Francis said she and her students have volunteered before and created acrylic pieces for Turning Point in the past. This year, however, she decided to try something new.
Francis said her students have been receiving lessons from Modern Woodmen Financial as part of their capstone projects, and she thought a volunteer opportunity would go well with the lessons.
“For the capstone project, students were exposed to finance lessons,” Francis said. “Students in my program are also exposed to all the different career clusters, career pathways, and also volunteer options in our community. … I already have a great rapport with Turning Point. I knew their funds were cut this year and wanted my students and I to do something to help the residents there.”
Francis said students at BVMS made and purchased items for the calming kits and care bags, which were donated to the children at Turning Point. The project was funded by Turning Point and the DACC, she added.
“By creating calming kits and care bags for the child residents of the domestic violence shelter, my students are using empathetic skills, team building problem-solving and critical thinking,” Francis said. “Turning Point will be able to use these kits for these residents, and my students will be able to show these awesome skills and show empathy.”
Francis said she hopes the project taught students several lessons.
”Much discussion has been had about having successful careers and also having a savings plan,” Francis said. “(I hope students learned about) choosing healthy relationships and also knowing when to ask for help if needed. Making healthy decisions has been discussed throughout the year and that includes having healthy relationships and using positive resources and support.”
Francis added the project was a positive end to a challenging year.
“It has been great during this difficult year to see my students enjoying doing great things for their community,” Francis said.
