Never doubt that a small group of committed

people can change the world. Indeed, it is

the only thing that ever has.

                                                                     - Margaret Mead

To our fabulous Oregon teachers:

You may have a classroom of only 35 students, but by teaching them the value of volunteering, you will be affecting an entire community. Volunteer projects provide a hands on experience, an alternative teaching tool and an introduction for your students to understand the importance of civic engagement. We have included resources below that will help you incorporate volunteerism into your curriculum. Please contact Hands On Greater Portland with questions or help in setting up a project.

Community Service Field Trips

These agencies have experience in working with groups of students and combining learning with hands on activities.

Projects in your Classroom

No need to organize a trip off-campus; here are some projects that can be completed right in your classroom.

Resources for Curriculum

Get tips on how to include volunteerism and projects in your lessons. You can adopt an entire curriculum or use pieces that apply to your grade level and interests.

Community Service Field Trips

Tryon Life Community Farms

Contact: Matt Gordon

503-245-3847

Nestled into Tryon Creek State Park in S.W. Portland is the intersection of rural, urban and wild. On this rare landscape, people are coming together to teach and learn the skills needed to ensure a sustainable future city. They have a fabulous program for students anywhere from Kindergarten to High School. They can accommodate big groups who work with great staff and an large array of projects.

Portland Community Gardens

Contact: Leslie Pohl-Kosbau

503-823-1612

PCG provides gardening and greening opportunities for the physical and social benefit of the people and neighborhoods of Portland. There are 28 community gardens located throughout the city, developed and operated by volunteers and Parks staff.

Oregon Food Bank

Contact: Sara Brockmeier 

503.282.0555

The Oregon Food Bank is a community-based non-profit organization dedicated to fighting hunger and its root causes. Food from a variety of sources moves through our warehouses to a network of 18 regional food banks across Oregon and 3000 local agencies in Multnomah, Clackamas, and Washington Counties as well as Clark County, Washington.

Metro Regional Parks & Greenspaces

Contact: Sandy Jamison

503-797-1834

Metro protects open space and parks, plans for land use and transportation, and manages garbage disposal and recycling for 1.3 million residents in the Portland, Oregon region. They are well versed in working with students, in fact they have a specific program for field trips.

Projects in your Classroom

Love Letters

Students will love knowing this crafty project is helping make someone smile. The students can make cards for children who are ill, seniors who are homebound, or local Portland heroes. Cards can be as simple or as elaborate as you choose, but it’s the personal touch that makes this project so special. Hands On can connect you with agencies that will make sure your cards go to a good home.

Alphabet Project

There are classrooms in the US and abroad that don’t have simple posters on their walls to help students learn. Alphabet posters are a staple in most classrooms and chances are, your students haven’t thought twice about where they came from. For those teachers and students that can’t afford these tools, we will make customized ones! Give each student a letter and the freedom to decorate it however they choose. Each letter should be done on a 5x7 piece of cardboard or sturdy paper and it helps if the letters are generally the same size. Once the posters are assembled, Hands On will help connect you with a classroom in need of an alphabet.

Placemat for a smile

In homes, community centers, and hospitals residents are often eating in cafeteria style dining rooms. Decorated paper placemats is a small gesture that can make dinner feel more personal or more like home. You can contact a local hospital or community center for blank paper placemats and invite each student to decorate one. Perhaps if they are laminated they can be used over and over rather than just once.

Birdhouses

Students can use milk cartons, wood, pinecones, etc to make homemade bird houses. This is a great way to teach students about the connection between their actions, nature, and environmental education. If your school has a garden, these may be a great addition. If not, Parks & Rec or other environmental organizations will often hang them for the spring.

Penny Drive

A project, tried and true. This project gives the students experience with counting and math, it gives them a sense of leadership within the student body and the school community, and it provides a relatively easy way to support a charity. Everyone has pennies sitting around! Once students have agreed upon an issue they would like to support, contact Hands On for non-profits in the area.