Meeting the Needs of Animals through Service Learning
Each year one Lalor Kindergarten class studies a science unit on the basic necessities of life. They discuss survival needs such as food and shelter. They differentiate between “needs” and “wants.”  Students discuss how these needs are met. The teacher asks, “What if you do not have these necessities?” The students discuss how we as community members can help others in need. The class begins a service learning project collecting items to help meet the needs of the animals in a local shelter in Hamilton, New Jersey. Service learning differs from community service in that service learning is based on the curriculum and therefore facilitates learning while serving the school/community. Students are not just taking up a collection. They are responsible for teaching their peers, school staff, family, and community members what they learned about basic needs and well-being. Following, it becomes a community effort to collect items for the shelter including dog and cat food, blankets/towels, and other goods. Students also write letters for distribution, design posters, 3-D visuals, & thank you letters. The dedicated staff at the Hamilton Township Animal Shelter then visits the school and speaks to the children about animal awareness & safety and explains how much their donations will help the animals.