“This really is the most caring generation, they think about others and are very empathetic,” expressed Taylor Jasper, LHSW Education and Training Teacher.
The category 4 hurricane made landfall in Louisiana last week and traveled across the coastal states, reaching New York with historic flooding. Reports indicate more than a million people have been without power and basic necessities since Monday as emergency response teams jump into action.
When Jasper’s students heard the news, they immediately wanted to help. “They [hurricane victims] are going through so much right now so we feel like giving water is something we can help them with,” said Angel Cash, LHSW Senior. “So we’re excited to help.”
The students rallied their classmates, made graphics for the school’s digital platforms, and hung posters throughout the halls. “School isn’t only about learning the material but it’s also about learning the soft skills for the real world, that’s why we focus so much on the LifeLeader attributes,” Jasper told of the district’s leadership program and how she uses it in her classroom curriculum.
“It happened that this week was focused on ‘Citizenship,’ so the kids really wanted to do something for the hurricane victims and that’s how this drive came to be,” she added.Jasper then reached out to Texas Baptist Men’s (TBM) disaster relief team to coordinate efforts and distribute the water to those affected in South Louisiana.
“Thank you to the students,” said Rand Jenkins, TBM’s Director of Ministry Advancement. “It was a great amount of work and it's inspiring to see youth that have empathy for other people. Right now, it’s hard to see that in daily life but these kids are showing it and it's fantastic to be a part of.”
Loading a moving truck with over 3,000 water bottles on Thursday, Jasper told of how proud she is of her students taking initiative and organizing the drive in record timing.
“These kids give me so much hope for the future, they’re the reason I’m a teacher. I’m so proud of them,” Jasper concluded.
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Life School opened as an open-enrollment public charter school in 1998 and has schools in Carrollton, Cedar Hill, Dallas, Lancaster, Oak Cliff, Red Oak, and Waxahachie. The mission of Life School is to develop leaders with life skills through strong academics, character training, and partnerships with parents and the community.
