It’s a big statement because our children are facing some big problems: increases in bullying, teen suicide and mass school shootings. To battle these problems, our children need a foundation of character and a connection to each other and the world around them.
“Being an educator and a parent, I see every day that students are no longer socializing or interacting to deal with life’s issues,” said Sheila Galera, program director, 21st Century Learning Centers for the School District of Palm Beach County. “As a result, they become isolated and disengaged.”
Addressing the root of these problems is the core value of the Charity for Change mission. The organization’s priority is helping children achieve their highest potential by giving them a strong foundation of social-emotional learning skills: These skills include understanding and managing their emotions, achieving positive goals, feeling empathy, building positive relationships, and making responsible decisions.
The Charity for Change Program brings children together through a cooperative learning curriculum that teaches children to work together while solving problems and practicing 19 different character traits. Everything in the curriculum is about character, giving and ways to help others. Children experience the confidence and self-efficacy that comes with making something positive happen for someone else.
The character traits are taught by direct instruction, modeling and real-world conversations about topics that impact children’s lives and behavior. Not only do students engage in discussion about the traits, but they also write about the topics, their feelings and their emotions.
It’s a program that works. Pre-and post-tests of children participating in the Charity for Change Afterschool Program at Guadalupe Center in Immokalee for the 2018-2019 school year showed an increase in character trait knowledge of 40 percent.
Galera, who is in her third year of including Charity for Change Programs in Palm Beach County, said she values the Program’s prevention-based approach to violence and bullying that addresses behavior and character proactively.
“Instead of reacting to bullies and negative behavior, we need to work from the bottom up, so that bullying and disruptive behavior doesn’t happen,” she said. “We need to look at the root of the problem, which involves teaching children to deal with emotions and interact appropriately. These activities lead to the prevention of maladaptive behaviors, antisocial traits and mental health problems.”
Kathy Feinstein, immediate past chair of the Charity for Change board of directors and a licensed mental health counselor certified in sports psychology, says she sees a lot of children who have difficulty managing their emotions.
“So many kids have a lack of confidence and feel they can’t make a difference,” she said. “The Charity for Change Program helps them build confidence. When you are able to experience empathy, there’s no way you can be a bully. Children learn that what they do matters and that they can make a difference for someone else.”
Charity for Change brings character and community involvement to life with multiple approaches that include interactive math games, puppet shows, word puzzles, certificates, lesson plans, kinesthetic activities, giving, visits from charities, project-based volunteer activities, contests, incentive prizes, awards’ shows, and animated and live mascot appearances.
Children of all socioeconomic backgrounds learn that they can make a big difference in the lives of others. Since 2008, more than 62,000 children have participated in the Program raising $132,000 for 100 charities that they have researched and selected.
Dr. Dayana Philippi, BridgePrep Academy principal commented, “The Charity for Change Program is both relevant and necessary given the times we live in. Today’s children and families face ever challenging social and emotional traumas. At BridgePrep Academy, our aim is to promote healing and prosocial values. In our quest to educate the whole child, mind, body and spirit we’ve found an engaging and ready-made curriculum that does it all!”
This year, the Charity for Change Program will serve children in 90 sites across Collier County, Palm Beach County, and Republic County in Missouri.
The Charity for Change vision is to cultivate confident and compassionate children who become successful learners, contribute to their schools and communities, and participate in society as ethical, responsible, resilient and selfreliant citizens.
Some of the funding for the program comes from the annual fundraising event, Charity for Change Gala, Enchantment in the Rainforest, planned November 16.
This article was featured in North Naples News in November 2019
