Gaining a New Perspective at LifeTown
Golda Och Academy students eagerly anticipated a schoolwide community service day to support their organization of choice. On October 9, 15 high schoolers visited LifeTown to lend their knowledge, skills, and talents to the LifeTown Shoppes. The experience was filled with learning, laughter, and valuable insights. Students not only helped children navigate the innovative educational experience, but they also gained a new perspective themselves.
“These kids spend all day in a school within such a small community of their own friends,” said GOA Experiential Education Coordinator Casey Giblin. “It was very interesting to see them branch out and bridge the gap between their own community and other communities they don’t see on an everyday basis.”
After an orientation, the GOA students were assigned roles at different Shoppes that best suited their abilities. Each high school student thrived as they helped children understand the importance of managing money and navigating the simulated town. At Linda’s Salon, one student put her impressive theater background to use, adding a touch of glam to each child who stepped through the door.
“She works on school plays doing hair and makeup and she didn’t realize how much her skill set meant to the little girls she was helping in the Shoppes,” said Giblin. “The skills she brings to the table actually provided more meaning to someone else. She was just in her element.”
The GOA students marveled at the learning opportunities at the Shoppes and soaked in all the magic that happens when children pet a dog for the first time at Jeff and Charlie’s Pet Shop or figure out how to exchange money at a cash register.
“One of our students asked why they were using real money,” said Giblin. “Money and how you use money is a real-life skill. The idea is to experience the real thing and practice real-life situations. For that student it was really interesting to watch her think critically.”
Volunteering is not only beneficial to LifeTown. Helping others creates a sense of purpose for high school students and teaches them about the larger world outside of their classroom walls.
“In a world where it’s difficult to get students to volunteer, I was so grateful for what the LifeTown experience brought to our students,” said Giblin. “LifeTown taught them that volunteering and the act of giving can be fun. They learned that they don’t need to receive something in the end, because of the experience that LifeTown gave them that day.”
