Eighth Grade Community Projects Showcase

Eighth-grade students from Somers Middle School presented their International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme Community Projects at the Second Annual Community Projects Showcase.

“There is so much choice and voice in this project,” said Jenna Schettino, MYP coordinator for the middle school. “There will be times in their lives when they will have to collaborate with others. This project helps them learn all the skills they need to work with others or independently.”

At the beginning of the school year, students met to learn more about the community project, what would be expected of them throughout the process, and how it would all come together with the showcase at the end of the year. Students filled out a survey about their interests, including topics such as sports, art, the environment, social media, family, photography, and cooking. Then they listed the community needs they were most interested in being a part of, such as working with senior citizens, children, or animals.

“There were three different types of projects,” said Adriel Tagayun. “Some people did fundraising or food drives, some advocated about issues or needs, and the last option was to do a physical project.”

Students worked in groups of two to four friends who were interested in the same things. Throughout the year, students met with mentors every Monday during their Tusker Achievers W.I.N. period. Mentors helped guide them along the way, stay on track, and work through any challenges they faced.

One group worked with the town supervisor to revamp a hangout area in the Shenorock neighborhood. They all live in the same neighborhood and saw a need to replace a table in the small park. They proposed replacing it with two tables to expand the area, adding a bike rack, and creating a mini library with books and games.

“The goal was to bring the neighborhood together in a spot where they could socialize,” said Jack Quinn.

“We all live pretty close to this spot, and we all bike there, so we thought a bike rack would be a good addition,” said Andrew Wuench.

Another project raised money to donate to the Danbury Welfare Society to help purchase dog beds for the shelter. They raised money by organizing a raffle for a dog-themed basket. The raffle winner was drawn during the Community Project Showcase, then all the money was donated to the organization.

“Picking our project was good because we got to pick something we’re passionate about. I love dogs, and I wanted to help them,” said Lexi Nyikos.

The project culminated with an evening showcase, where the entire community, including members of the Somers Town Council, Board of Education, friends, family, and staff, were invited to learn more about this year’s community projects. Students created displays and takeaways, and they spoke to attendees in person, explaining more about their projects and the impact they hoped to make on the community.

“It helped us learn to help people in need in our community,” added Lexi.

This was the second year that the entire eighth-grade class completed the community project. From raising awareness about important issues to creating real change in their neighborhoods, these young changemakers impressed everyone with their creativity, passion, and commitment.

“We didn’t just want to do this for the school project,” said Gavin Brady. “We also wanted to do it because we will use this and we’re passionate about it.”

The community project is designed with the IB learner profile attributes in mind, helping students to be open-minded and caring about their local and global communities while also developing their communication and risk-taking skills. Students were encouraged to explore something that interests them, something that would help satisfy a need they identified in the community, or something they believe could be improved upon within their community.

The showcase was a powerful reminder that learning about citizenship begins at the local level, strengthening our communities and creating the solid foundation we call home.