Project Hero
The staff and students of Ellisville Elementary School embarked on a school-wide yearlong service learning project that focused on learning about, celebrating and supporting veterans in our school community and the active military that pass through the Missouri USO at St. Louis Lambert Airport. Project Hero provided students, kindergarten through fifth grade, with opportunities for leadership, decision-making and service as they participated in monthly lessons focusing on heroes, celebrated veterans and active military family members in a Veterans Day Assembly, sponsored a fundraiser and donated items on the USO Wish List to create care packages for our U.S. Armed Forces personnel and their families. Buddy classes worked collaboratively to assemble 700+ care packages for the soldiers and their families which included a personal hand written note from the students and a return postcard for the recipients. A student delegation delivered the care packages to the USO along with a check for $410. These care packages have been distributed not only at the USO in St. Louis, but also at the army base in Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. The students have received 32 postcards, cards and letters from the soldiers expressing their thanks.