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Project 4: Holiday Cheer & Community Giving Workshop
Project 4: Holiday Cheer & Community Giving Workshop
Our Holiday Cheer & Community Giving Workshop brought the heart of our Changemakers program to life, transforming weeks of generosity into meaningful support for families and seniors across Cedar Hill. After collecting food items for Cedar Hill Shares and winter accessories for our Grandfriends at Crestview Court, scholars gathered to experience firsthand how their contributions become real help for real people.
What made this workshop special was the sense of shared purpose. Older scholars took on leadership responsibilities that mimicked real-world service logistics—sorting, organizing, and preparing items for distribution—while younger scholars infused the project with warmth by designing holiday letters filled with encouragement and care. Their creativity ensured that every food donation and winter bundle carried a personal touch, reminding recipients that our community sees and supports them.
The workshop not only prepared donations for delivery—it also helped scholars understand the full cycle of service, from collection to impact. Scholars left with a deeper sense of empathy, confidence in their ability to help others, and pride in the role they played in strengthening our community during the holiday season.
Leadership in Action: Skills Spotlight
Leadership in Action: Skills Spotlight
During this project, scholars put essential leadership skills into practice in age-appropriate, meaningful ways:
🧩 Responsibility & Ownership. Scholars took pride in completing tasks thoroughly — checking expiration dates, counting items accurately, and ensuring every kit was ready for delivery.
🤝 Collaboration & Teamwork. Working in groups, scholars communicated clearly, divided tasks, and supported one another to keep the workflow moving smoothly.
💖 Empathy & Understanding. By learning about the families and seniors receiving their donations, scholars deepened their sense of compassion and community awareness.
🎨 Creative Expression as Service. Younger scholars discovered that art can be a form of kindness — a simple way to lift the spirits of someone they may never meet.
🌱 Initiative & Community Mindset. Many scholars expressed ideas for continuing service at school, at home, and in the community, showing the early roots of self-driven leadership.
What did you like most about doing something kind for someone else? “Thinking about how it will make someone smile.”
- PreK-2nd Grade Scholar
Which part of the project felt most meaningful to you? “Seeing how many donations were collected and recognizing our school’s community impact.”
- 3rd-5th Grade Scholar
Project 3: Citywide Beautification - Community Cleanup #2
Project 3: Citywide Beautification - Community Cleanup #2
Our Citywide Beautification Project invited Changemakers to care for the parks and shared spaces that shape daily life in Cedar Hill, including a newly added service area near Permenter Middle School and Virginia Weaver Park. Scholars strengthened their leadership, teamwork, and sense of community pride as they cleaned parks, refreshed school grounds, and contributed to Little Free Libraries and a starter Kindness Rock Garden.
Students shared that helping made them feel “happy,” “proud,” and “excited,” and several recognized the deeper impact of their work. One scholar reflected, “A few people can make a big difference when we work together,” while another noted, “Kindness is something you can’t fake — you have to feel it.” Their reflections show how service continues to shape our young leaders and deepen their connection to the community.
Leadership in Action: Skills Spotlight
Leadership in Action: Skills Spotlight
During our Citywide Beautification Project, Changemakers practiced meaningful, age-appropriate leadership skills.
🌱 Kindness & Empathy. Scholars recognized they were helping their community and making others smile, often sharing that the work made them feel happy, proud, and excited.
🤝 Teamwork & Collaboration. Students worked together to clean shared spaces, with older scholars noting how teamwork made the effort easier and more impactful.
🌟 Responsibility & Civic Pride. Across all grades, scholars took ownership of their environment—improving parks, school areas, and a newly added clean-up zone near Permenter Middle School and Virginia Weaver Park.
💬 Growing Leadership Mindsets. Older students reflected on authentic kindness, trying new things, and choosing to help even when it isn’t required.
“A few people can make a big difference when we work together.”
— 3rd Grade Changemaker
Click here to see more pictures from the project!
"My favorite part of the project is I clean up and make the world a better place."
-2nd grade Changemaker
Project 2: Fall Blessings with Grandfriends
Project 2: Fall Blessings with Grandfriends
This two-part project brought the true spirit of kindness to life. In kitchens, living rooms, and art corners across our community, Changemakers of every age gathered around tables filled with crayons, string, and imagination—creating handmade Fall Blessings Packages adorned with colorful art, heartfelt notes, and cheerful fall décor for senior residents at Crestview Court.
When it came time to deliver them, our Changemakers and their families carried those gifts of love in person—filling the cafeteria with warmth, laughter, and connection that spanned generations. In those moments, kindness became something you could see and feel: smiles spreading, hands held, eyes bright with gratitude.
Through this project, our Changemakers discovered that leadership begins with empathy—and that even the smallest hands can lift the biggest hearts.
✨ Leadership in Action: Skills Spotlight ✨
✨ Leadership in Action: Skills Spotlight ✨
Through this project, our Changemakers strengthened both the heart and discipline of leadership—learning to pair empathy with thoughtful action.
Empathy: Understanding and caring for others who may feel lonely or unseen.
Communication: Expressing kindness through art, words, and personal connection.
Organization & Execution: Planning their work, managing materials, and following through to complete each Fall Blessings Package with care and attention to detail.
Gratitude: Recognizing how serving others builds appreciation, perspective, and joy.
Project 1: Community Cleanup Impact
Project 1: Community Cleanup Impact
Our scholars shared that serving together made them feel happy, proud, kind, and thankful. Many noted how working side by side with classmates, friends, and family showed them the value of teamwork, leadership, and responsibility.
From learning why it’s important not to litter to recognizing that “we can get more done when we work together,” the reflections from this project highlight how service builds more than cleaner spaces — it builds compassionate leaders who understand the power of kindness in action.
See pictures from the day by clicking here!
Check Out This Inspiring Video!
Check Out This Inspiring Video!
👏 Big thanks to Michael T. for stepping up to interview his peers and showcase the impact of this project through his video lens! Make sure to check out his video below!
✨ Leadership in Action: Skills Spotlight ✨
✨ Leadership in Action: Skills Spotlight ✨
Through this project, our Changemakers practiced key qualities of leadership:
Teamwork: Collaborating with peers and families to achieve a common goal
Responsibility: Taking ownership of caring for shared spaces
Environmental Stewardship: Understanding their role in protecting and improving the community
Kindness in Action: Recognizing that true leadership means serving others, creating cleaner and safer spaces for classmates, neighbors, and families
2024-2025 Annual Impact Report
2024-2025 Annual Impact Report
In just our first year, Changemakers scholars contributed 800+ hours of service through projects that supported the homeless, enhanced local parks, uplifted senior citizens, and more. Every project was scholar-led, age-appropriate, and designed to show that even small hands can make a big difference.
Check out our 2024-2025 Annual Impact Report.
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