JYJ Gives Back Night (Planning a School-Wide Service Night Part III)

I've given you tips on how to run a school-wide character ed event at your school (in part I and part II) and now it's time to share how our 2013 JYJ Gives Back School-Wide Event went (this is part III).  Also I want to mention that JYJ actually gives back ALL year through community service.  Each grade level is given money that has to be specifically used for a community service project for the school year. 

Here's who & how we helped out this year:

TV Screenshot of station locations (created by the fantastic technology teachers at my school)

-Wake county SPCA:  made dog chew toys out of old t-shirts

Making dog chew toys for SPCA

-Mayview Nursing Home:  made (early) Valentine's Day cards

Valentine's day cards

-Tammy Lynn Center: (for developmentally delayed children & adults): made musical instruments out of cardboard tubes

-UNC-Children's Hospital: notes and care packages for patients.  We also collected money school-wide to purchase 2 wagons to donate to the hospital (they use wagons to transport children through the hospital instead of gurneys or wheelchairs).  Some people were so moved by our efforts that 3 parents offered to donate another 3 wagons to the hospital on our behalf at our event (what a great way to show JYJ Gives Back)!  We had a station where students could sign the wagons.

Wagons "before"

Signed Wagon

-Ronald McDonald House:  notes and care packages for patients

Making care packages

-Raleigh Rescue Mission (local homeless shelter):  made & packed meals

Making sandwiches for the Raleigh Rescue Mission

-Backpack Buddies: packed meals for our PTA sponsored program

Food donations!

-USO: notes and care packages to the soldiers

USO station

-Refugee mission collection: separated winter coats, gloves, socks, scarfs and hats to donate to refugee families and children in the area.


-Several classes were really into the "giving back" and went above and beyond collecting items, helping set up and even running service stations at the event.  We had so many donations, which is why our event was such a success and so very meaningful!

We had an outstanding turnout from students and parents, by having Spanish performances (in full costume) throughout the evening (JYJ is a magnet Spanish immersion school) so each grade level had a group to perform throughout the event in various locations in the school (this also doubled our attendance and donations from last year).

3rd grade performance

Kindergarten performance

The wonderful technology teachers at my school put together this fantastic video of our very successful event!  Take a look (and yes, both myself & the counselor intern made a cameo appearance, we're the very last ones on the video):

Does your school have a school-wide service night event?  If you do, I'd love to hear how you run yours, please share!





Pin It