After our little come-to-Jesus meeting on Tuesday, I was suddenly feeling qualms about our class service/learning project: a car wash to raise money for a local women's recovery center.
That day, my students were discouraged, and even though we had been planning the car wash for over a month--talking about materials, making posters, and assigning tasks--they still were not convinced it was actually going to happen.
This negativity prompted an impromptu field trip. They needed to visualize what we were doing, I decided. Off we traipsed to the front of the school where we'd wash cars and share space with the plant sale; then on to the roadside, where we would hold signs; finally, back to the garden to appreciate the hard work of the volunteers who were working in tandem with us.
Thursday, the attitudes were markedly better. Excitement buzzed in the air. Some students brought in soap, buckets, and sponges; others finished the signs and eagerly volunteered to sit in the cafeteria to advertise.
Today, as I scrubbed and hosed down cars with my students, I was so proud of them. We had a steady stream of cars for two hours, and my class and other senior volunteers worked diligently to wash, rinse, and dry the vehicles. I am so pleased with those who chose to follow through. Granted, we had a few no-shows that I'll have to address this week, but those who were there really made it work. Several people who stopped by were impressed that these seniors of 2010 were giving up their time for a selfless reason: "Usually car washes are for the baseball team or some other school group," commented one man. "But it's really cool that you all are donating everything to the Hope Center."
I can't wait to hear my students' reflections in class and in their blogs this week!
