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Plantation Key School Students Save Lives Around the World with Measles Initiative

ISLAMORADA, Fla. (674 words) – What can a dollar really do any more? In the U. S. it can’t even buy a cup of coffee. But around the globe $1 can save a life through the Red Cross Measles Initiative by providing a measles vaccine. When students in the character education and art class at Plantation Key Middle School (PKS) heard about this life-saving possibility they wanted to be the change.

The PKS Measles service learning project students set goals and planned a campaign to create awareness about measles and malaria rampant in third-world countries. First, students created visual displays on campus like flyers and posters to educate their peers. Second, they hand-painted Red Cross boxes to collect funds for the initiative. Third, they wrote and illustrated a story based in Africa for children in grades K-3. Book sale profits are designated to support the Measles Initiative. Finally, for disseminating information, tracking and recognition they created Power Point presentations for their classmates, wrote essays and kept journals to document their progress.

According to the Red Cross, the Measles Initiative since its inception in 2001 has supported more than 43 African countries in the vaccination of 217 million children. The Initiative has been a crucial factor in contributing to the 60-percent reduction in measles deaths since 1999. However, despite significant gains, there is still major ground to be covered with about 410,000 children younger than age five who die around the world of measles each year. Measles is a vaccine-preventable disease and each vaccine cost is less than a dollar per child. In the first two weeks $75 had been collected.

In school-based service-learning projects like the Measles Initiative at PKS, students apply curricula and classroom learning through hands-on service projects they help design. The service must meet a real need and is both a means and an application of learning. Activities are related to important learning goals and are designed to apply specific learning objectives linked to the Sunshine State Standards.

For example this project met these three art appreciation and advanced language arts objectives: to create two-dimensional and three-dimensional works of art that reflect competency and craftsmanship; understand what makes various organizational elements and principles of design effective and ineffective in the communication of ideas; and use literary devices and techniques in the comprehension and creation of written, oral, and visual communications. Brinkman also integrated the Monroe County School District’s adopted core character traits into the project.

Standing in front of a bulletin board at school, PKS 7th-Grader Samantha Vonnegut explains to Teacher Amy Rembisz about the Measles campaign and says, “Each paper cutout represents a $1 donation for a vaccine that can save the life of a child in a third-world country.”

Dunn said, “We have poured our hearts and souls into this book together with our students.”

MYCP Prevention Coordinator Michele Sutter who assisted Dunn and Brinkman with the project said, “Youth need be global citizens. This project has helped them become more sensitive to foreign cultures. It has also strengthened their compassion and respect for others.”

Students have planned a book signing at the school’s media center and two local books stores to sell copies of their books.

In addition to support from MYCP, collaboration efforts from Plantation Keys School administration and staff, the Red Cross, Centers for Disease Control, and UNICEF made the project possible. Monroe Youth Challenge Program is a project of the Monroe County Education Foundation to foster acceptance, respect, and success in the youth of Monroe County. For more information contact Michele Sutter at (305) 852-1664 or visit www.monroe.k12.fl.us/mycp.

To save a life with $1 or purchase a book, email Donna.Brinkman@Keysschools.com or Joanne Dunn Joanne.Dunn@KeysSchools.com.