The halls of Amelia Earhart Elementary School buzzed with excitement on Friday, April 25th, as students from Pre-K through Fourth Grade participated in the school's inaugural "Earhart Cares" Day of Service. Principal Marney Hay welcomed the morning talking about how each class and grade level had chosen unique ways to give back to their community and school. Students lit up with anticipation as they prepared to spend the day beautifying their campus and reaching out to their community through various service projects.
The service learning extended beyond the school grounds as fourth graders crafted heartfelt "Earhart Cares" cards to accompany treat sacks they had filled with donated items. These care packages were prepared for delivery to the Senior Center to support their activities and Friendship Meals/Meals on Wheels program. Amanda Treadwell, the Senior Center director and passionate advocate for both community seniors and local schools, expressed enthusiasm about this intergenerational connection. The project created a meaningful bridge between young students and community members, teaching children the importance of remembering and honoring all members of their community.
Third graders worked in cooperative teams to create lasting contributions, including cleaning up the gazebo area and painting flower boxes around it. Other students painted and sealed paver stones that would become permanent fixtures around the school grounds. Classes focused on decorating colorful rocks that were strategically placed to brighten the building's exterior and enhance the school's walking paths/areas. The students' creativity shone through their artistic expressions, transforming ordinary stones into vibrant markers of school pride.
Perhaps the most enthusiastic engagement came during the nature walk, where students of all grades donned gloves and carried trash bags to hunt for litter around the school grounds. "The kids loved this," reported April Bond, a Fourth Grade teacher whose class alone collected four full trash sacks. The children's excited shouts upon discovering pieces of trash revealed how the service project had transformed a simple clean-up activity into an engaging treasure hunt with purpose. Their enthusiasm demonstrated how service learning can make civic responsibility feel both important and enjoyable.
Younger students participated in age-appropriate service activities, with some classes planting new greenery around the campus while others worked on projects inside the building such as building peanut butter bird feeders or creating sidewalk chalk greetings. Kindergarteners through third graders learned that even small hands can make a big difference when working together toward a common goal as they worked together to beautify flower boxes by the school’s gazebo area. The variety of projects ensured that every student, regardless of age or ability, could contribute meaningfully to the day's mission of community care and environmental stewardship.
As the day concluded, the impact of "Earhart Cares" was evident not just in the physical improvements to the school—freshly planted flowers, decorated stones, clean grounds—but in the sense of accomplishment and pride throughout the school. The inaugural Day of Service had successfully instilled in students the understanding that caring for their school and community isn't just a one-day event but a continuing commitment to being thoughtful, engaged citizens who recognize that even the youngest among us have the power to create positive change.