Puppies, reptiles and serving a school Autism program. These are the three things the 3rd, 4th and 5th grade GT classes at Dunn Elementary chose to help as part of their Project Heart experience. GT teacher, Tenae, integrated Project Heart into her gifted and talented classes as a way to elevate student learning and help them connect to the needs in the community. Students created their own service projects and earned grants to enhance their giving power! Check out their amazing story!
Never underestimate the power of elementary school students with passion! Ms. Elliott's third grade class at Carrie Martin Elementary in Loveland, Colo. may be tiny but they are mighty big philanthropists! Inspired by their collective interests in helping people and animals, these tenacious third graders worked together to raise funds to help a local nonprofit that was important to them. Get inspired to learn more about what this incredible group of students did to make a difference!
It's Valentine's Day! For the past 17 years, students at Lopez Elementary have planned and executed a special event focused on raising money to help kids experience the joy and excitement of getting to go to summer camp. The Hearts for Respite Luncheon is a legacy event at Lopez Elementary, with students raising money to help other kids in their school and community go to Respite Care's Wilderness Camp. Students walk through the Project Heart Philanthropy program and learn how to use their time, talents and treasure to bring this event to life. From writing letters to local businesses for food and supplies donations to reaching out to adults to donate to their cause, students are the drivers of this event every year. At the end of the event, students learn that they are purposeful and valuable people who have the power to make a difference, no matter their age or background.
What happens when you encourage kids to follow their passions? What can kids accomplish when they learn that that they have the power to make a difference? Teacher Kris Odenbaugh at Olander School for Project Based Learning in Fort Collins has always known that kids have the ability to do big things but when you show them how they can make a difference, the sky is the limit. Using Project Heart, Kris watched her kids transform into tenacious difference makers who use their time, talent and treasure to help others in need. Now in her third year of using Project Heart, Kris shares how she has watched her students blossom into the changemakers of tomorrow, today, and how philanthropy has changed her classroom for the better.
The Gardens on Spring Creek in Fort Collins, Colo., offers students a unique opportunity to combine their passion for environmental stewardship with the power of philanthropy. Using our Project Heart framework, the Gardens on Spring Creek created Project Hort, a summer enrichment program that equips middle and high school students with the principles of philanthropy and challenges them to create projects that combine giving back and the environment. Check out what these incredible students have created to make their communities better and brighter through philanthropy!
When Alissa Poduska took on the role of principal at Bamford Elementary, a new school in the Poudre School District, not only did she start with a clean slate, she started with a big opportunity to shape the culture of the school from day one. Partnering with OtterCares and MindSpark Learning, Bamford Elementary began a journey of professional development around Project Heart with educators learning how to infuse the concepts of the program into their lessons and curriculums in an easy and personalized way!
Every year, fourth graders at Lopez Elementary School in Fort Collins, Colo. host a very special luncheon to celebrate the culmination of their Project Heart Impact Project! Their Hearts for Respite Luncheon helps connect community members to the philanthropic efforts of these young people and allows students to gift the funds they have raised for Respite Care!
Middle schoolers are amazing. Not only are they eager to grow and learn, they are eager to serve and give back to their communities. The middle school class at High Plain School in Loveland, Colo., participated in the school's second Day of Service event, a day where students visit 13 nonprofits in Northern Colorado to use their time and talent to give back. Inspired by our Project Heart philanthropy program, students learned about the power of their 3Ts - time, talent and treasure - as well as crafted personal mission statements focused on how they wanted to give back to their communities and world. Equipped with passion and enthusiasm, students worked alongside community members and Otter Products employees to volunteer doing various activities to support organizations in our communities. It was a powerful and inspiring day! Check it out!
Students at Shepardson Elementary in Fort Collins, Colo., participated in Project Heart to learn how to be philanthropists! Their Project Heart was focused on collecting food donations for a local food pantry. Their goal was to collect 1,000 food items…but thanks to the dedication of the students, they more than tripled their goal, collecting over 3,000 items! That’s A LOT of food! The students invited volunteers from Otter Products to help them get their donations to the local food pantry to help others in need. These students are proof that no matter your age, background or ability, anyone can use their time, talent and treasure to give back and make a difference! Great Job Shepardson Stars!
Beau isn't your typical teenager - he's a philanthropists. After going through Project Heart in elementary school, Beau found a passion for giving and helping others and found ways to connect to needs in his community through other organizations that provided him with an outlet to give back. But when his best friend needed him most, Beau tapped into his philanthropic spirit to help him and his family during a difficult time.
Kelsey was part of the first cohort of students that participated in the first Hearts for Respite Luncheon at Lopez Elementary in Fort Collins, Colo. Learn how Kelsey's participation in the philanthropic luncheon impacted her personally and professionally!