Puppets for Patients

This service-learning project was the result of a class discussion focusing on school safety. The students of Monte Vista Middle School had been affected by the loss of several classmates in the last few years. Each of these students is fondly remembered and students still mention them occasionally. Children of middle school age are increasingly aware of their own mortality. They frequently expressed their own fears and concern for others who are sick. My students wanted to do a service-learning project to reach out to children who are hospitalized and often scared of their circumstances. Volunteer letter writers chose to write to Shriners Children's Hospital in Oakland . The response was very positive. A few phone calls later we had a plan. Students wanted this project to be timely and drafted a project time line of two weeks to mailing. We found simple and inexpensive puppet kits in the Oriental Trading Company catalog and ordered them with express delivery. One student had taken a class on puppet making and brought in materials to teach the class how to make sock puppets.