By Anne-Marie Strohman, Middle School Parent and Hillbrook Writer
When Reach Beyond Block began this fall, it brought up a big question at our house: Why should I use my time to do something that won’t directly benefit me?
It’s an important question—for kids and adults—in a culture where it’s easy to be self-focused. And it’s an age-appropriate question for middle schoolers as they are intensely focused on their own experiences but are also opening up to the world around them.
In the weekly Reach Beyond Block, Hillbrook students and teachers collaborate on projects that make a difference in the world. Besides helping my kids engage with big questions, Reach Beyond Block has taught my children the important elements of making a difference: listening, learning, and engaging.
My 8th grader chose to take part in “Tricking Out The Hub,” a course where students help design and outfit Hillbrook’s new all-inclusive arts, technology, and makerspace building. Evan has interviewed, collaborated, researched, budgeted, and designed. These skills are essential in serving others well.
But because The Hub won’t be completed until next year, he won’t be able to use the space he’s helped design. His question—why he should use his time only to benefit others—has sparked many dinner-table conversations. We’ve talked about altruism, community, and service. And we are so glad to be having these conversations now. As a family, we value generosity and helping others, and we have been able to share those values in meaningful and practical ways.
For the first Reach Beyond Block session, my sixth grader chose “Food…What?! Growth, Prep & Share,” which focused on exploration, learning, and personal choices to affect change. Natalie met stakeholders from all parts of the farm-to-table process. One of her favorite parts was planning and preparing a meal with classmates. She appreciates the work that goes into what she eats and the value of each part of the process from seed to meal.
In her recent January mini-session, she watched Dolores, a documentary about the farm labor movement. The film and discussion helped her see what she learned in her food explorations in a new context. She has learned to identify injustices and inequities in the world around her, as well as make informed personal choices. The film showed her that it is possible to make a difference through social action.
Her winter Reach Beyond Block focused on a big project: writing a novel in a month. In attempting this nearly impossible task, she was able to practice risk taking, goal setting, engaging in independent work within a supportive community, and creative thinking. She learned that creative writing not only entertains, but also communicates. Through her writing she can make people think and make her voice heard.
These experiences have empowered my middle schoolers to make a difference in the world, through inquiry, research, collaborating, and speaking out. They have learned that making a difference doesn’t start with action, but in a place of openness and listening. They have learned to see the world in a new way, and they have learned that their voices matter. Most importantly, they have struggled with the question of why they should strive to make a difference in the world. I am confident that the answers they find now will fuel the service and gifts they offer the world throughout their lives.