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Kids Who Care

Spotlight on:

Lindenwold High School
Lindenwold, NJ

Grades 9—12



Lindenwold High School students care about:

People in their community,
both new immigrants and older citizens

Lindenwold, a racially and ethnically diverse borough in the center of Camden County, prides itself as “an island of inclusion,” a place with a long tradition of welcoming and acceptance. That tradition of acceptance and caring was very evident in Lindenwold High School’s choice of service-learning projects: “Promoting Understanding: English/ Spanish Literacy Program” and “The Seniors’ Prom: Transforming Lives.”

“Students who are new to this country and cannot speak our language require a special kind of nurturing,” said ESL (English as a Second Language) teacher Debbie Mosley Duffy, who initiated an innovative English/Spanish Literacy program in which the participants are also recipients and vice versa. When Ms. Duffy asked her older students what would have helped most in their struggling early days here, a student responded, “I wish I had somebody close who knew both English and Spanish.” This reflection served as the inspiration for this initiative in which the Early Language Learners of Lindenwold were paired with the Advanced Placement Spanish students of Haddonfield High School. They met as buddies during the year on a regular basis, exchanged and edited each other’s letters, and engaged in conversation with the goal of improving each other’s skills in the targeted language. The buddy relationship blossomed, as did their skills and their understanding of each other’s culture. Haddonfield students gained much from the exchange; they praised the opportunity of “talking to someone in Spanish on a regular basis” and “understanding the problems of students new to our country.” The ELL students looked forward to every exchange and found “a new friend” that could help them, one they could help too!

“The Seniors’ Prom really had the power to transform lives,” observed family & consumer sciences teacher Joann Porter who saw how this annual event, organized and implemented by students, “united students of every ability level, taught them to observe positions of responsibility and leadership, and made them feel good about themselves in a way that no classroom activity could.”

Lindenwold students created a theme for the seniors’ prom, researched the period and its music, designed decorations and visual displays, budgeted costs requested donations from local businesses, handled media coverage, and wrote thank you notes. Clearly, the most poignant moment was the meeting between the grateful senior citizens and the students on prom nigh.

In reflecting on the experience, Lindenwold student Crystal H, added,

“It has changed the way I think about school. I like being able to help others and learn about our town.”

Empathy, respect, responsibility, citizenship—all these values were imbued in a service project that that served as a tangible example of the mutual worth of service-learning.


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