Hearts Building Homes
How Can YOUR School, Dance Studio, or Rec Program Give Back???
I began volunteering when I was in the 1st Grade after the Ronald McDonald House visited my classroom. I have been so blessed to have grown up within a school community that fostered giving back as well as a dance studio that puts a strong emphasis on community service. I know that there are so many schools and dance studios that want to give back to the community around them and just need to figure out when or where to start. Whether you have the resources for a yearlong project or simply want to spend an afternoon serving those around you, here are some community service ideas for your school, dance studio, or rec program that are sure to help your students learn the value of helping others and assist in their journey giving back to their community.
Fundraising for a Cause
- Car Wash - Turn that standstill carpool line into a car wash, where parents pay a few dollars to get their car sprayed down and scrubbed at lightning speed! Donate all the proceeds to a good cause. Genius Tip: Schedule carwash shifts with an online sign-up.
- Bake Sale - Students can sell baked goods during lunchtime or a school event and donate the proceeds to an issue that your class is passionate about.
- Service Auction - Students can auction off their time and talents (an hour of yard work, a night of free babysitting, etc.) to raise money to donate to a cause.
- Yard Sale - Organize a community yard sale! Collect gently used clothes, furniture, household goods, and more and plan for a weekend morning to have the big sale. Donate the money you make to underprivileged schools to buy supplies for their students. Genius Tip: Use an online sign-up to schedule volunteers.
- Movie Night - Host a movie night for the community on your school soccer field. Students can sell concessions and tickets for the event to raise money for a cause. Genius Tip: Raise more money with these 100 concessions ideas.
One-Time Large Projects
- Performance - If your students enjoy music or acting, coordinate with another school or preschool to bring in students to watch a performance! You can do a performance on an educational topic or just provide students with an afternoon of fun.
- Soup Kitchen - Travel to a local soup kitchen and cook a meal for those in need (or just visit with patrons if your class is younger).
- Fall Festival - Host a fall festival for families with children with special needs in the area to come and have a relaxing, fun day with their kids. Genius Tip: Coordinate festival volunteers with a sign-up.
- Free Coffee and Hot Cocoa - If it’s wintertime, brighten the days of people in your community by handing out free coffee and cocoa on a cold day.
- Mural - Help your students paint a mural to brighten up your community or bring awareness to a cause that you think more people should know about.
Year-Round Projects
- Book Buddies - Partner with another class and create a book buddies system, where older children can help younger children practice their reading skills.
- Yardwork - An easy and practical way to help your community is by finding homes near your school with older or homebound residents and head over as a class every few weeks to help out with yard work.
- Fresh Food - Plant a garden at your school. When your produce starts to bloom, donate all the fresh food to a local food pantry or a place where access to fruits and vegetables isn’t very common.
- Food Pantry - Volunteer to sort donations at your local food pantry once a quarter as a class.
- Tech Teaching - Head to a local retirement community or senior center once a month and help the residents learn to use the latest technology.​
Here are some of the AMAZING projects that students have hosted through my dance studio Miller Street Dance Academy. To learn more about how to set up a Service Society within your school, dance studio, or community rec program visit Miller Street's Service Society Page or contact me directly! I would LOVE to help your organization implement a Service Society for your students.
