In 2002, when the state took over a collapsing Philadelphia school district it imposed lots of new stuff to try to save the schools. I remember the talk (and the fear) about one of those things – a standard, universal curriculum. I thought of it as, The Big Book. I also remember picturing the individuality of 175,000 students ground to dust beneath its binding.
So I’m a cynic.
Well, it was only this last week, when I met Rachel King-Davis, an innovative teacher at the Parkway Peace and Justice High School, that I realized I was a bit too cynical. The fact is good teachers find a way. One tool King-Davis uses to develop student spark in her history classes is a curriculum called Champions of Caring.
This program, developed first in 1995, encourages students to dig deep into history and current affairs and figure out ways to get involved politically, or by following the service learning model to make the world a better place. And they learn stuff too.
“Research shows that participants in the Champions of Caring program score higher on measures of prosocial behaviors such as altruism, respect, caring, and conflict resolution. They have better attendance and get in fewer fights,” according Brianne Tangney, Executive Director at Champions of Caring.
For more information about how to bring Champions of Caring to your school or organization, contact Brianne Tangney, Executive Director at (610) 527-1934 or brianne@championsofcaring.org.
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