Kids want to make a difference.

My sister Margie is a 4th grade teacher who has made a difference in hundreds of kids’ lives. This year, she brought in articles of issues going on related to science, so her students could choose a cause to get involved with. They chose the Duwamish River in Seattle, which is an EPA superfund clean up area. The kids researched what the issues are, what had been done, and what they wanted to do. They were concerned that even as a superfund, it was still incredibly polluted, and cannot be fished out of it safely. They designed a petition, which has close to 3,000 signatures. If you are so inclined, feel free to sign the petition, which can be found here: http://petitions.moveon.org/sign/help-the-duwamish-river-1. They chose to protest, and the kids met with King County executives to discuss their concerns. They were made the TV news (http://www.kirotv.com/news/news/seattle-fourth-graders-channel-macklemor...).

It is near the end of the school year. Some of the students have volunteered to write an article for a children’s magazine. How many classrooms have kids that motivated to do extra work?

What the children are experiencing is the joy of social interest. They were empowered to choose a cause and determine what actions they believed in. They were encouraged to use their voices in respectful ways. They are so engaged that they want to continue the effort even after the school year ends.

What might we each encourage our children to do over the summer to “feed” their social interest, and involve them in our communities in meaningful ways?

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#positivediscipline #socialinterest #voices #choices #involvedchildren #empowered #engagedkids