What service learning projects to do with special ed kids?

Question

I'm running a service hour club and i need some projects ideas to do during a lunch period, and also ideas to do with involving special ed kids?

Answer 1

I don't know what type of area you are in, but easy ones are picking up garbage in a park, planting flowers, singing at a nursing home, making cards for soldiers overseas...kids with special needs can do what typical kids can - just with accommodations.

Answer 2

In my school we have a group of special educational need students who lok after rabbits, they have also made a vegetable patch which is good for explaining photosythesis.

I have found that if you give them a text book and pick a topic, they like to make up board games with questions and answers, by doing this have to read through the book, when they are doing this I go around the groups and explain anything that they dont understand.

Answer 3

The kids should actually be the ones choosing the projects.  You can make them aware of some different community needs and issues, or maybe have some guest speakers in to share their groups' needs with the kids, but the kids should take charge and choose a project.

That being said, here are some that we've done in our schools that have been successful.  Many of these will depend on the age of the kids, type of school you're in, and their interests.  I'm not sure if you mean to have the SPED kids doing the projects, or you want the basic ed kids to do something for the SPED kids, but these can all be adapted to a variety of age levels.

1. Start a recycling program for ink cartridges.  Students can decorate boxes to place in each classroom and collect them once a week.  They can launch a full campus campaign for students to bring them in, and use the money to do something for the school, charity, needy families, holiday baskets, school supplies/backpacks for poor students, or whatever they choose.

2. Be Best Buddies with a mentally handicapped class.

3. Be Book Buddies with a younger class.

4. If your school has a daycare or nursery work with the kids or make educational items and games for them.

5. Collect formal dresses for girls who can't afford homecoming and prom dresses.  Collect suit jackets and formal wear for boys who can't afford them.

6. Collect things like boxtops for education, Campbell's soup labels, pop tops (Ronald McDonald house), stamps (some veterans groups collect these), the fronts of Christmas cards, cans for recycling, etc.   Use the proceeds to help groups chosen by the kids.

7. Make something to sell, such as pens wrapped in floral tape with flowers at the top, pins, bookmarks, etc.

8. Do a food drive for the local pound and volunteer there periodically.

9. If students are interested in a certain population, such as the homeless, have them do a drive to collect socks, blankets, toiletries, whatever is needed, and visit a homeless shelter or volunteer at a soup kitchen.  (Some 5th and 6th grade classes at our school have done this for the past few years and it has been an amazing experience for the kids.)

10. If you want to work on an international level there are many projects overseas such as this one: http://www.heifer.org/

11. Pair up with local organizations such as the American Cancer Society and their Relay for Life, or smaller groups such as the Elks, veterans organizations, senior centers, etc.  Our local senior center collected for soldiers and we were able to help collect and package things instead of doing our own parallel drive.  It was also a good time for the kids to get to know other adults with different backgrounds and perspectives, and it was a fun project for all.

Service learning can be fun to do with kids of all ages, and when it's a well organized and well thought our project, the benefits are enormous!

Good luck!