[Image: Natchitoches]At Marthaville Junior High School this year, learning was happening beyond the classroom.
Lynn LaCaze’s seventh-grade health class partnered with LSU AgCenter 4-H agent Laura Brumbaugh to participate in a service-learning project entitled, Safety Crew, Teens Constructing a Safer Tomorrow.
Service-learning is a program that is offered from the LSU AgCenter’s 4-H youth development program. The concept takes community service and makes it become more relevant. It allows youth to take ownership of the project while participating in learning experiences.
Students who participated were Ashton Cruse, Charley Desadier, Tyler Dubois, Taylor Ford, Elizabeth Haigh, Hannah Haigh, Hannah Jones, Jacob LaCaze, Sarah Lester, Taylor Lodridge, Kelsey Longino, Jacy Morace, Tyler Rose, Savannah Settle, Shannon Smith, Christian Sparks, Christen Tate, Anthony Thomas and James Walker. Project leaders were Brumbaugh, LaCaze and Melinda Powell, Marthaville Junior High volunteer.
The class performed a needs assessment using a community survey and interviewing the school principal, Terry Williams. From those results they decided that the community collaborator they would partner with would be the fourth- and fifth-grade classes at the elementary school, which is housed on the same campus.
The participants decided to use the LSU AgCenter safety curriculum to teach weather, hunter, ATV and home-alone safety to address those community concerns identified through their needs assessment. They also collaborated with Department of Wildlife and Fisheries agent B.J. Shoemaker and District 7 Fire Chief Doug Birdwell.
In preparation for teaching the lessons, students researched their topics, worked in groups to develop their lessons, created displays for their topic and reflected throughout the process on their thoughts, feelings and what they were doing.
Through the lessons taught during three days in April, 29 fourth-grade students and 38 fifth-grade students were reached. The lessons included hands-on learning experiences that the service-learning students prepared and taught. These lessons were truly youth-led and -delivered.
On April 27, ATV safety lessons were taught by Hannah Jones, Jimbo Walker, Sarah Lester, Charlie Desadier and Anthony Thomas. The lesson included a demonstration of the proper gear to wear while riding an ATV.
On April 28, the hunter-safety lesson was taught by Shannon Smith, Ashton Cruse, Savannah Settle and Tyler Dubois. Shoemaker spoke during this lesson.
The weather and home-alone safety lessons were taught on April 29. The weather o[Image: Natchitoches]r not safety lesson was taught by Christian Sparks, Kelsey Longino, Jake LaCaze and Tyler Rose. The home alone safety lesson was taught by Hannah Haigh, Elizabeth Haigh, Jacy Morace, Taylor Lodrige and Christen Tate.
During these lessons, the Natchitoches Fire Department brought in their safety trailer, where fourth- and fifth-graders were taught about weather and fire safety. Chief Birdwell, City of Natchitoches Fire Department driver and operator Michael Sesvold and Volunteer District 7 firefighter Richard Bruce all assisted with the safety trailer.
At the conclusion of the project, students enjoyed a celebration for their efforts. They enjoyed a field trip to Lake Martin for a swamp tour in St. Martin Parish and an afternoon at the Mall of Acadiana in Lafayette. One group saw six alligators while on the tour.
This project allowed youth to become part of the LSU AgCenter’s 4-H Youth Development Program as a school enrichment group, a delivery mode of the 4-H program. Through this project, these youth not only learned about the importance of safety, they also developed communication skills, learned to work as a team, investigated their feelings and reactions to events and were engaged in meaningful service to their community.
The project exceeded the expectations of leaders. “To reflect back and remember where we started at and to see the journey of growth for each of these youth is really amazing. It only shows the power of yout[Image: Natchitoches]h and what they are capable of doing if given the opportunity,” said Brumbaugh.
LaCaze adds, “When I was first approached with this idea, I had never really considered integrating service into my curriculum, but from this success I believe in the power of a service-learning project.”
Anonymous surveys from the youth who participated in the service learning project stated: “I liked it and felt that I learned more about my community and way of life.” “It felt great because we got to teach little kids responsibility.” “I feel I learned a lot. Also as future leaders of America we need to participate.” “I felt very good about this project. I felt good about it because I believe the kids that we taught actually learned something.”