Peace Pillows
Peace Pillows – Symbols of Comfort for the Children of Haiti is an integrated curriculum for third graders at Hoboken Charter School (HCS) that infuses character education and service learning. The curriculum teaches students about the multi-faceted concept of community, responsibility, civic engagement and diversity, while they learn about earthquakes, geography, landforms, advocacy and other cultures. These core themes, developed out of a need to recognize the importance of helping others within the local and international communities, are accomplished as students study, reflect, discuss and learn about the earthquake in Haiti and the stories behind the people affected by the natural disaster. The children generated a list ways to help the people affected by the earthquake. The children decided to blend some of their ideas and wanted to make small pillows in school to sell in the community. All pillow sale proceeds went to charities helping Haitian families. The creation of a “Peace Pillow" represents the comfort, safety, stability, peace and dreams that the students wish for the children of Haiti.