CHS students visit schools during 'Cooper Cares Day of Service"

More than 230 Cooper High School students visited six Robbinsdale-area school schools on Feb. 11 during the most recent “Cooper Cares Day of Service,” part of the Cooper Cares service learning program.

Forty Cooper students went to Robbinsdale Middle School; 60 students went to Meadow Lake Elementary; 27 students went to Forest Elementary; 54 students went to Northport Elementary; 15 students went to Lakeview Elementary and 34 students went to the School of Engineering and Arts (SEA). The Cooper students helped in classrooms, read with younger students, did tutoring, spoke about high school – and made connections.

“I have a student who is nonverbal and has other aspects that typically require someone with expertise to find a way to connect with him,” said Julie Johnson, a special education teacher at Meadow Lake. “One of the Cooper students instantly had rapport and maintained it with a finesse far beyond her years. The connection they made was singular in its instantaneous nature and was sustained until we had her working with another student. In both situations, we were so extremely impressed. My students always love the Cooper Cares kids who come to our room, but this was something above and beyond.”

“Volunteering like this gives our students the chance to see the power they have ­- to see themselves being positive leaders,” said Caroline Geise, the college access and service learning coordinator at Cooper. “They are such strong, immediate role models to these younger children, and we are very proud of these amazing students.”

The next Cooper Cares Day of Service will be May 13.