North Adams Preschool Service Project Touches on Illness, Empathy
 Mayor Richard Alcombright joins preschoolers working a PopCares project on Tuesday. |
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Preschool students are getting educated about illness in the "Hearts for Pop" service learning project.
Johnson School preschool teacher Rosemarie Dzierga said this is the first time the district has done a project of this kind. She said it is focused on teaching children empathy and how to handle illness
"We talked about what happens when someone is sick and what can you do with them and how can you make them feel better," Dzierga said. "My biggest pull away from this is teaching children empathy towards others."
Dzierga said she wanted the project to be much bigger than just the preschool and brought in members of the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts basketball team, Drury High School students, Mayor Richard Alcombright, and others who have been affected by illness.
"I didn't want it to be a one little classroom ordeal. I wanted it to be a whole community event," Dzierga said. "I wanted to take it one step further."
MCLA student Kenny Suggs said the service learning project is a great way to get college students involved in the community.
"I think that this a great idea to have high school kids and college kids come help," Suggs said. "Most of us aren't from North Adams so it gives a chance to really be involved in the community."
Children throughout the preschool frantically worked on their projects. Some worked on heart pins with customized faces, others used syringes filled with paint to create small magnets, and others made "boo boo art."
"Kids when they get hurt they think of getting a Band-Aid. So they are getting to pick three Band-Aids, which is getting math involved, and they are putting it on paper. We are including a lot of different activities," Dzierga said. "They can paint right over the Band-Aids however they want and it is just a piece of art."
Dzierga said all children have been involved including special needs children who help paint posters advertising the project.
The preschoolers will showcase the crafts at a parent-teacher conference night and local establishments around the city, such as Berkshire Emporium and Persnickety Toys. Although they aren't officially for sale, she said people can take them and donate whatever they want.
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Dzierga said many local businesses such as Big Y, Stop & Shop, Cascades School Supplies and Walmart have been very helpful in the project.
Dzierga said all proceeds go to PopCares Inc. PopCares cares raises funds for those affected by cancer and was established in memory of Bill "Pop" St. Pierre.
Dzierga said PopCares inspired the whole project after one of Dzierga's students with cancer received money from the organization.
"PopCares has been wonderful," she said. "As soon as I contacted the family to let them know, they sent them $400, no questions asked. That is how great this organization is."
Dzierga said there has been an influx of students entering preschool and, in the past three years, she has had two students with serious illnesses.
"You look at all of these children and you look at all of their beautiful smiles, but people don’t realize the underlying issues many of these children are coming in with," she said. "People don’t realize that so many children literally are coming in with cancer…People don’t understand the fight these little children have, and I decided it’s time that we make the general community aware."
Tags: community service, illness, preschool,
