By Ellen Schwartz
Who would have thought that the day I brought my son into my grade four classroom, it would change my whole trajectory in education? I was a teacher for years and loved every moment of inspiring the next generation. One day, my eldest son’s nurse cancelled her shift with Jacob at the last minute. There was no time to arrange for a supply teacher, so Jacob came to school with me.
At first, my grade four students were puzzled and caught off guard as I wheeled in our special classroom visitor. “How can I speak to someone who can’t speak back?” Jacob was born with a rare neurodegenerative illness that has no cure or treatment. He was unable to walk, talk, see or move.
I held Jacob in my lap, and the students peppered us with questions. It didn’t take long for the students to see Our Jacob, the person I adored and loved, rather than Sick Jacob, a boy with severe and complex needs. The students made a friendship they have never forgotten, and I morphed my teaching into an entirely new stratosphere, one of empathy, compassion and community-mindedness.
That same day, I asked all of the students to find a cause or charity that inspired them and their families. The following day, these wide-eyed and excited students came back with their own unique stories. Together, we worked to develop each one so they could passionately share them with the rest of us. Once we were ready, the students became the teachers, and we all became their students—and Project Give Back was born.
Project Give Back is a passion-based curriculum dedicated to teaching students to become empathetic, compassionate and community-minded young leaders. The logo, a boomerang, is a constant reminder that the more kindness we throw out into the world, the more it comes back to us. It has been more than 20 years since that first catalytic class with Jacob. Project Give Back is now a staple curriculum in public, private and parochial schools. Facilitated by a team of caring and nurturing educators, it has helped tens of thousands of students and provided thousands of children with a voice to become ambassadors for hundreds of inspiring charities. During these classroom discussions, young minds become open to the wide world around them in a positive, nurturing and safe manner.
To learn more about Project Give Back and how you can support its growth, please check out our website, www.projectgiveback.com. Ellen Schwartz is the founder of Project Give Back and the author of Lessons from Jacob, Without One Word Spoken and The Puddle Jumper.