For Universities For Employers About

General Education

Middle School Service Learning Project Success: Hands4Hope

Image from

Fran Spero May 4, 2015

Hands4Hope supports young teens' community service projects. Learn about the benefits and best practices of service learning for middle school students.

In this course, participants learn core principles, concepts, and methods of continuous improvement and explore the history of continuous improvement efforts. In a series of lectures, Master Black Belt in Six Sigma Shane Wentz, Ph.D., enables learners to enhance, optimize, and stabilize business processes and to augment quality control through varied methodologies. Participants gain the skills and knowledge to reimagine internal processes, engage in advanced problem-solving, and empower employees. The course covers high-level foundational principles of Lean, Six Sigma, and DMAIC processes before diving deep into Lean Six Sigma methods. Learners will analyze the tools of process mapping, Kaizen (a continuous improvement method/tool deemed a prerequisite for Lean transformation success), Lean (a continuous improvement philosophy that emphasizes streamlined workflows and reducing waste), and the process improvement methodology driving DMAIC: Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, and Control.

Entrepreneurs fostering new ventures outside of well-developed entrepreneurial ecosystems like Silicon Valley face significant challenges. These markets are unlike Silicon Valley, and they will likely remain so. That doesn't mean they can't nurture and sustain new businesses. In transitioning markets that lack abundant private sector financing, creative approaches from government officials, donors, and business leaders can fill the void to support entrepreneurial activity. Northeast Ohio (where Cleveland and Case Western Reserve University are located) has become a laboratory for such innovative solutions. During our time together in this course, we will explore some of these creative approaches to promoting regional entrepreneurship. Northeast Ohio has seen a massive infusion of government and donor resources for over ten years. In that time, Northeast Ohio has promoted regional development (including job creation and follow-on funding) through alternative methods of financing startups. It has not been easy. The region has made progress, but it remains to be seen whether it has struck upon an enduring formula. A dynamic entrepreneurial ecosystem takes many years, even decades, to develop. Government policymakers and donors typically seek quicker returns on their support programs, which makes long-term support for entrepreneurship challenging. This course includes case studies and first-person testimonials from entrepreneurs who have launched products and services ranging from medical devices to LED lights to whiskey. You will learn how these entrepreneurs discovered and procured resources from various programs and intermediary organizations. You will hear from business people still in the process of developing their companies as well as those whose ventures have flourished. Our focus will extend beyond Cleveland to selected markets around the world, including Greece, Vietnam, Tunisia, Argentina, Rwanda and China. You will learn about international incentives and other supports available to developing startups and small businesses across the globe. This course examines how different communities around the world approach implementing strategies and methods to support businesses. I will ask you to reflect on how to apply the principles we learn to growing entrepreneurship where you live. The social interactive features of the online platform will enable students from around the world to share ideas and learn from one another. Most MOOCs rebroadcast professors’ lectures; this course is different. Don’t expect to see me standing in front of the camera, talking and lecturing every module. Instead, the lectures will be relatively short in length. They have more of the feel of an engaging documentary than a static classroom setting. ## __What type of person takes the *Beyond Silicon Valley* course?__ - Active and aspiring businesspeople in communities looking to initiate new startup ecosystems or bolster existing ones - Current and prospective entrepreneurs who want to learn about funding sources, risk management, and the lifecycle of startups - Professionals who work in government agencies, nongovernmental organizations, philanthropic institutions, and various private funds that fund startups - Anyone curious about how to create and grow startup ecosystems outside the major tech hubs - The principles Beyond Silicon Valley teaches have been drawn from and applied to startups worldwide, from small villages to megalopolises. You'll study success stories spanning the globe from Vietnam to Kosovo to Botswana. ## __What will you learn in *Beyond Silicon Valley*?__ - How and where startups can find funding to get their businesses off the ground - What role government can play in encouraging startups and a healthy startup ecosystem - How anchor institutions such as universities and healthcare systems participate in startup ecosystems - How nongovernmental organizations support startups - How to raise funds from venture capitalists, angel investors, and accelerators - How to navigate challenging periods in the startup lifecycle - The importance of mentoring in successful startups

Article continues here

Volunteering is a powerful way to help kids better understand their community and appreciate the importance of giving back.

Moreover, what many young teens find satisfying about community service is feeling the tangible difference they are making through their effort and initiatives. This sense of agency can help increase a child’s confidence and motivation for taking on new responsibilities.

Hands4Hope: A Case Study

At Rolling Hills Middle School in El Dorado Hills, California, an unexpected mix of sixth, seventh, and eighth graders are celebrating the success of their First Annual Spring Carnival Sock Drive.

The students are middle school members of Hands4Hope, a service learning and outreach nonprofit that empowers students to develop their own fundraising projects with the aim of benefiting those struggling in the greater community. In addition to reflecting on their event, the group is meeting to review its best practices.

Kenzie Misso, eighth grader and club president, draws two columns on the whiteboard and titles them “Well" and “Improvement." The group members stop giggling and commence a decidedly grown-up discussion.

“So how much did we collect?" Kenzi asks.

One of the students reads her notes: “We collected 236 pairs of socks. Assuming $1.50 per sock, plus tax, that’s just almost $400 in value. The total value of all the contributions was just under $800. After expenses for the carnival, we have a monetary profit of $208.27."

The group then discusses the most successful elements of the project: extending advertising efforts to a nearby elementary school{: target="_blank" }, supporting a popular face painting booth for younger children, and continuing a highly successful mouse-hole game created by some of the boys from recycled materials.

Improvements for next year include limiting students to only winning one soda at the “Win a 2-liter soda" game so older kids could spread out to other parts of the fair.

All in all, the group is proud of what it has accomplished.

Student Voices

Taylor Smith began participating in Hands4Hope in the fourth grade and has loved her experience. “We get to work on much bigger projects in middle school. I love making a difference, but it’s also even more fun because we get to decide what we want to do."

Jack Dengler and Brayden Kono also started in fourth grade. They liked it so much, they convinced more of their buddies to join over the years. “I really like working together with my friends," says Brayden.

“We don’t just talk about stuff, we do a lot of projects," says Jack.

Another friend, and the secretary of the club, Nick Snyder adds, “I feel like an hour goes by so fast when you’re on a project. The Super Bowl Bake Sale project was intense. We got a lot of business that day."

The Rolling Hills Club has raised thousands of dollars over the last few years through a variety of projects, including clothing drives, car washes, hot chocolate sales, and now a spring carnival. They’ve delivered toys to patients in children’s hospitals and assisted families in housing shelters. The students especially enjoy delivering their efforts in person and interacting with people they want to help.

“I admit," says Jacob Kim, “I first got into the club to be with my friends. But you feel really good when you can help people and let them know that they matter."

Kenzie, adds, “I really love this club. I especially like meeting and helping kids — they can’t help what their situation is. I had a realistic view that there was a need, but the sheer quantity of it really surprised me."

Thoughts from the Founder

Founder Jennifer Bassett says that, for her, the biggest reward of Hands4Hope is showing young people what a huge impact their own ideas can have on the world around them. “When I ask the kids why they joined the club, the biggest response I get is ‘because we get to make the decisions.’ I don’t think kids this age have a lot of opportunity to do that yet. I see a lot of shy kids come into their own as thinkers and leaders in this club."

“When we first started Hands4Hope, I didn’t realize that we were forming a service learning opportunity. But this is service learning in its purest form. Students incorporate math, communication, problem solving, and social studies skills to solve real-world problems — and they have fun doing it."

Bassett, whose father served in the Marines, grew up overseas. She learned from her family and her early travels to respect cultural and socioeconomic differences in others. She started Hands4Hope because she wanted to share this awareness with her sons, who are growing up in a relatively sheltered suburban environment.

“I wanted them to see how fortunate they are, that this is not necessarily the way that all of America lives. I wanted them to grow up aware and engage respectfully with people from all backgrounds and economic situations."

Since 2008, Hands4Hope, which started with three teams (elementary, middle, and high school) in El Dorado Hills, has expanded to more than 10 schools across the region, with over 1,400 youth volunteers at the elementary, middle, and high school levels.

Advice for Parents

Bassett’s advice for creating a service learning organization is to do research and see if something has been established in your area. “Team up — it takes a lot of work and there are finite resources to support youth organizations. If there is not an organization that works for you, team up with friends, reach out to schools, the district, and agencies to see where the interests are. Reach out to the business community to find out if it is something they are willing to support. Have meetings with parents and get feedback. But especially get feedback from kids — kids having passion for the cause, and where their passion is, really matters."

Bassett also recommends holding interest meetings specifically for students. “I don’t think we give kids enough credit sometimes. We have to pull back as adults and allow them to offer their insight on what they find meaningful. I was surprised when one of our young outreach teams took part in a homeless outreach and one of the students noticed that many of the people had pets. They saw how important the pets were to the well-being of those we were serving. When the kids discovered that sometimes people who become homeless also lose their pets because they cannot afford the registration fees, they immediately wanted to raise money to help fund pet registrations and supplies for homeless and disadvantaged individuals and families. I never would have thought of that."