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Project Sparrow is a unique service-learning project that pairs a local child in medical crisis with a school that adopts that child as their "Sparrow" for the school year. Students do community service to raise funds to meet their Sparrow's needs. Oregon has about 300 Sparrow Clubs. This salute, nominated by Parkrose superintendent Karen Gray, typifies many schools' "Sparrow" experiences.
"These middle school students are performing heroic acts of kindness," said Gray. "It has made a positive impact on the behavior of the students and many have risen far above the challenge. In 28 years of education, I have never been as encouraged as when I've watched the entire student body of Parkrose Middle School stand up for their Sparrow. They've created wonderful ways to act as a compassionate student body community."
Parkrose Middle School adopted a 13-year-old girl in October 2007 who had been diagnosed with leukemia and whose mother had died of cancer three years before. She is a middle school student in neighboring David Douglas School District.
Project Sparrow has brought the two school districts closer than ever, and Parkrose Middle School (grades 6-8) united to support the project, which requires that they plan and carry out community service raising money from the business community and individuals. Businesses and individuals put $10 directly into the sparrow's account, tax-deductible, for every hour of community service they receive.
Parkrose students who had never volunteered in the community have been inspired to serve and to involve fellow students because, leaders say, they relate to their sparrow. The students have "owned" the Sparrow project.
By December of 2007, they had already completed 256 hours of community service. They replaced the gas furnace in their Sparrow's home because the family had been without heat for over a year; formed a "Helping Hands" program to provide food to the family every two weeks; and got the school district's homeless program, the Gateway Project, to donate cleaning and personal supplies to the Sparrow and her family. The students also held spaghetti dinners, raffles and car washes.
Contacts:
Dr. Karen F. Gray, superintendent, Parkrose SD, 503-408-2135
Sparrow Clubs of America - www.sparrowclubs.org
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