Belk launches third annual service learning challenge

Belk, Discovery Education and the International Society for Technology in Education have launched the Belk Service Learning Challenge, a comprehensive standards-aligned program encouraging middle school students to facilitate positive changes in their communities by applying critical thinking, problem-solving and creativity skills to a service-learning project of their choice.



Now in its third year, the Belk Service Learning Challenge invites students in grades 6-8 who reside in one of the 16 states where Belk has a presence — including Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia — to work in teams of up to four students with the support and guidance of a teacher or mentor to identify an issue in their local community and design an action plan to implement a solution.



To enter the challenge, teams must submit a one- to two-minute video describing the community issue, a summary of the team's research including who or what led to the problem and what has been done to address it, and an action plan to implement a solution and scale the project to a broader audience. The deadline to submit video entries is Feb. 27, 2015.



"For our project, my team organized a book drive to make libraries for girls who didn't have books," said previous winner Colson Dennis, student at The 4/5 Academy at Fifth Avenue, City Schools of Decatur, Georgia. "I will continue to give back to my community because I see the hope and joy I bring to others, and the difference I can make."



Previous challenge winners include students from Neuse Christian Academy in Raleigh, North Carolina, who worked with Burmese refugees in their community to help them find jobs and improve their English speaking and reading abilities. Students from Hinds County School District's Main Street Restart Center in Mississippi created a plan to fight obesity in their state and community for all ages, which included a new community walking track. Students from Richland County School District One's St. Andrews Middle School in South Carolina performed random acts of kindness to spread cheer including a clothing drive, spa day for young girls in a battered women's shelter and an Easter egg hunt at a local day care facility.



"Being involved in our communities has been a part of Belk's DNA since our founding more than 125 years ago, and it remains a core value today," said Jessica Graham, Belk's VP of communications and community relations. "Through the Belk Service Learning Challenge, we have the opportunity to teach students about the importance of service and giving back. Not only do the students learn about service learning, but they make a difference through their projects."



Created solely to support these students through every step of the Challenge, the dynamic online destination BelkServiceLearningChallenge.com equips 6th to 8th grade educators with free, standards-based service-learning curriculum, including lesson plans and multimedia tools that reinforce the importance of social responsibility and volunteerism to societies and economies.



"We are pleased to continue our work with Belk and Discovery Education on this powerful, service-learning initiative. By giving students options to become more engaged in their learning, they have the ability to impact the world around them," said Craig Thibaudeau, chief external relations officer of ISTE. "Programs like this put students back in the center of learning and help us create a more connected world by linking technology, social responsibility and volunteerism, and 21st century learning."



A panel of judges will review submitted videos based on the following criteria: Community problem identified based on research (30%), action plan (30%), creativity (20%) and overall presentation (20%). Three teams with the highest scores will win a grand prize of up to $10,000.



"We are proud to partner with Belk and ISTE to provide students and their teachers with an opportunity to connect classroom lessons to real-world issues, and make a positive impact in their communities," said Mary Rollins, SVP of Discovery Education. "Through participation in the Challenge, students learn the value of completing a project from start to finish, and feel a sense of pride and accomplishment from giving back to their communities."