PIE students at SES learn about the value of giving back to their community

The Partners in Education (PIE) students at Sanfordville Elementary School have been learning about money and the importance of “saving” vs. “spending” and “wants” vs. “needs.” Recently, these lessons came together in a community economics simulation that also doubled as a community service project.

The project allowed students to consider how money can affect those in their community and led them to learn about how their own community helps those who need and want different things.

“They posed the question, ‘How do we help people in Warwick that don’t have everything they need or things they want,’” said Taylyn Carter, a PIE teacher at SES.

To understand the needs and wants of their community, students wrote letters to different local organizations to ask questions in hopes of understanding the dynamics of their community. The different organizations included Warwick Food Pantry, The Hope Chest, Albert Wisner Public Library, the Warwick Humane Society, Schervier Pavilion, and various restaurants.

The community service project encouraged students to think about the different things that those in their community would need and want which caused them to write letters to their PIE classes requesting donations.

On the day of the event, students set up a table with snacks and drinks inside the PIE hallway where students were able to purchase items of their choosing. Another classroom held a “pet adoption center,” where students could adopt stuffed animals, and there was also a “clothing donation” table where students sorted and folded the donated clothes they received.

In another classroom, there was a “bookstore” where students went through the book donations they’d received and also picked a few they wanted to read. Each station was run by students and parents and they took turns running each station so students could have time to shop.

Students were able to spend their “money” at different stations of their choosing. This economics simulation allowed students to think about how money is used and also encouraged them to make wise choices about how they would spend their money once they received it.

“When you save money, then you can buy more stuff and then more money will go around,” said second-grader Liliana Martino.

“I learned that you can’t just buy everything you want because you have to save money. You have to buy things you can afford,” said first-grader Lily Collins.

Books from the bookstore were donated to the Albert Wisner Public Library to help run the summer programs, a multitude of cans and boxes of food for the food pantry, and five extra large recycling bags full of clothes for the Hope Chest. There were also various supplies for the local animal shelter and puzzles and games that were created by students and donated to Schervier Pavilion.