Overview:
The fourth-grade changemakers project empowers students to design and lead real-world service initiatives, teaching them communication, empathy, and adaptability as they transform their own ideas into meaningful action for their community.
A few years ago, we made a change to the curriculum that allowed for more experiential learning. We wanted to design a thematic unit that the students were in control of, from the topic studied to the final project. From conversations with colleagues, administrators, and community members, the class changemakers project was born.
The fourth-grade changemakers project allows students to not only dream of making a change, but take action to make that dream come alive. The process begins with learning about people who have had a positive impact on the world at both global and local levels. After learning about the actions of others, the fourth-graders generate ideas and dream up their own class project. Students select a target group of people to help, then create action steps based on what is realistic given the time frame.
Introducing the Fourth Grade Changemakers Project
Each student presents their idea with specific action steps and everyone votes on a final whole-group project. There is no limit to the project ideas generated, however, students come to realize that in order to see the project through to the end, they must respect the limitations of time, funds, coordination, and the needs of their selected community. In planning the project, students learn the values of communication, fundraising, and philanthropy.
During the 2024-2025 school year, project ideas ranged from making self-care bags for people who are unhoused to picking up litter and upcycling it into jewelry. Eventually, the class decided they wanted to make a positive impact on the lives of the elderly in the community.
The students had huge dreams of how they could help the residents and what they could do, then learned how to adapt. After communicating with a retirement home, the residents decided that a pizza party with the fourth graders would be most beneficial. The fourth grade students raised money through a bake sale to purchase pizzas. This allowed a perfect opportunity for students to apply math skills in determining prices for the bake sale, the amount of pizzas needed, and the total cost. By adapting their original ideas, fourth graders learned the importance of helping others in a way that benefits the recipient, rather than a way that simply feels good to them.
Choosing a Cause: What Matters Most to Students
Although the final product differed from their original plan, every twist and turn became a lesson in flexibility. Students were able to adapt their ideas in order to meet the needs of those around them. The biggest lesson the students gained from this experience was the importance of truly listening. Originally, the students wanted to surprise the residents and show up with games, in their communication with the retirement home coordinators, they learned that would not have the desired outcome. By learning to successfully communicate, the students were able to show up in a way that truly brought joy and light into the lives of the residents.
Each student walked away with new lessons and life advice. The class felt inspired to create a video with the lessons they learned from spending the day at the retirement community. One student stated the most valuable lesson they learned from this project was “If you try hard in life, you will achieve great things”. Another student, who started out the day incredibly nervous, left the experience saying “We went there to help them, but I think they really helped me more!”
From this experience, the class became empowered to help others and began showing more kindness towards each other. They learned the importance of helping others, but most importantly, they learned the power of listening.
Real-World Lessons in Empathy and Flexibility
Previous projects have all differed. One class chose to make a positive impact on the community by picking up litter and planting trees. Students spent multiple days picking up litter around our campus and the surrounding neighborhood, relocated trees in a community park, and donated money to local not for profit, which resulted in over 100 trees planted. Another class chose to make blankets and donate them to The Children’s Hospital. This class held a bake sale to raise money to purchase fleece, then spent hours cutting and tying fleece for the blankets. They washed the completed blankets so they were sanitary for the children in the hospital. The class drove to the hospital and handed the blankets over, so their new owners could have a little comfort during their hospital stay.
This particular group of students had limited experience with peers who had chronic or terminal illness, and gained so much empathy through this experience. These students are now 7th graders and one student approached me saying “Remember when we made those blankets in 4th grade, well I was inspired to crochet little finger puppets to donate to kids in the hospital this summer!” I was so proud to see this student continuing to actively make the world a better place.
Students complete the changemaker project feeling empowered to make a difference in the world. They understand the work involved to transform an idea into reality and they develop many valuable skills along the way. While the goal is for the students to see that they can make a positive impact on the world, they often walk away with a little more humility and compassion for those around them.
Watching my students work together to become agents of change reminded me that the most powerful lessons happen when we step back and let the students take ownership of their learning. When I stepped back, I saw a classroom full of thinkers, creators, leaders, and changemakers.
Erin Buehler has been teaching for 10 years and has an M.A. Ed. with a Behavior Intervention Specialist emphasis. She began her career as a special education teacher and currently teaches 4th grade in a school with a philosophy of experiential education. She has a passion for curating learning experiences to meet students where they are, while providing a safe and hands-on environment.
