At Skyline High School, the Community of Caring class isn’t just another class students take to fill their schedule but a way for students to actually make a difference. That impact was clear during the school’s recent blood drive, where students worked behind the scenes and showed up to help save lives. The class showed what it really means to care about their community.
For the teachers who lead the class, the reason behind it is simple: they believe students should have real opportunities to serve.
“For me, it was that I’ve always been really involved in nonprofits and volunteerism, and it seemed like a great way to get the youth involved. […] I thought that this would be a perfect fit for me,” Tori Bergstrom said.
Putting together big service projects like the blood drive takes a lot more planning than people might think.
“There’s a lot of behind the scenes stuff that happens at the very beginning of the year, scheduling the different drives, as well as the Road Home, the food bank, St. Vincent’s Soup Kitchen,” Bergstrom explained, adding that many of these projects have become traditions the community looks forward to.
More than just organizing events, the goal of the class is to help students understand their role in helping others.
“The service is part of a big community at Skyline; we have more to give than we need to receive,” Shar Christensen said. “It’s a great opportunity for them to see that not everyone lives like Skyline students.”
Even though the class is rewarding, it can be challenging because so much of the work happens outside of class time.
“A lot of the work we do is done outside of class time, and there’s not a core curriculum for the class,” Bergstrom said. “It becomes challenging to make sure that we have meaningful projects to do during class and to get the students involved outside of class, because so much of it happens then.”
Students say those challenges are worth it because of how positive and motivating the class environment is.
“I think it’s a great opportunity, especially for the future, and I also think that it’s an amazing atmosphere,” said Freshman Avery Holmes. “I know older students that have taken that class and said it’s amazing and a great opportunity for them.”
Holmes said the blood drive is one of the projects that stands out the most, because it directly helps people in need.
“I think the blood drive is also amazing, because you can have a chance to help other people who maybe don’t have opportunities for themselves,” Holmes said.
For students, the class is also about growing as a person and learning to think about others first.
“Definitely selflessness and being able to put others before myself,” Holmes said when asked what she hopes to learn through the class.
As the blood drive wrapped up, it left more than just donation numbers but also showed how much students can accomplish when they work together for a good cause.
According to Christensen, that positive energy and the long lasting impact is exactly why the class keeps going strong. She said, “Students can see a long term impact, […] and we’re having fun!”
