Habitat for Humanity Visits Elementary School in Mississippi
Bearden Elementary School – located in a low-income area of Mississippi – allowed the UHS students to gain a new perspective on education in America.
“I think the impact of visiting Bearden is in the emotions that the students have about what they see,” said UHS Habitat co-sponsor Mark Foley. “One of the things we try to do in high school is develop empathy and compassion for those who are not as fortunate or as privileged as ourselves. Seeing what is happening in that school helps them to feel the need for change. And that will hopefully be the beginning of their own quest to address social inequalities.”
Since the Mississippi school uses corporate punishment on a daily basis, the visit was a culture shock for those who attended schools in Urbana.
“Visiting the elementary school made me realize the huge positive or negative impact a teacher has on their students just from the way that they interact with and treat them. When kids are treated with love and respect, they respond a lot better than when they are constantly criticized and yelled at,” said Maddie Headtke, senior and Habitat club member.
Many on the trip shared Headtke’s observations.
Foley continued, “The school had a lot of positive aspects, but the negativity that some teachers had toward their students was disturbing. It is also a school that could use a lot of help with material needs like functional pencil sharpeners. It also needs some help with spiritual needs like positive energy and more love. I hope our group can provide some help with both needs.”
For the UHS students and chaperones, the experience was one that they did not want to forget. In fact, the club would like to develop an ongoing relationship with Bearden.
“Our group is still trying to figure out how we can best help the students and educators at Bearden. We donated pencils and pencil sharpeners to the school when we were there, and we are planning to raise more funds to provide more materials for them before the end of the year,” Foley said. “We would also like to give them something for the school that would symbolize our partnership with them – perhaps a quilt or a mural that would bring some art and color into the school. It is exciting and humbling to think about the ways we could help.”
The club is currently working on a district-wide school supply drive to donate to Bearden. Habitat students are contacting Urbana elementary schools and Urbana Middle School, as well as organizing a way to collect donations at the high school.
The teachers also deal with a great deal of responsibility and frustration, and many are devoted to the students. Still, the visit to Bearden Elementary School opened up a much-needed discussion about the disparity among schools in America. Although the problems might seem insurmountable, Urbana students were able to find a passion for helping others early on, and that has prompted many to reflect on what they might like to do to contribute later in life, as well.
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