Friday, September 16, 2011

Let Us Join Together!





by Yvonne Yates, Director of School Services
yyates@klrn.org



Nothing says community like an event that gathers people from all over our city for a common goal. This year, September is full of community involvement happenings, from the 9/11 10th anniversary memorial events to KLRN’s Not in Our Town Week of Action September 18-24. San Antonio is a community that has come together many times to celebrate our diversity and culture. We each have a role to play in strengthening our community and it is the job of all educators, parents, and teachers to lead by example.

We teach our students from a young age to share and be kind and as they get older they continue to share their lunches with friends and are kind to the elderly gentlemen at the grocery store. However, how many of us take those early lessons and apply them to service in the community? Are we showing students that community service isn’t about padding one’s resume, but about realizing that by helping others we gain an understanding of each other and a sense of human compassion? We as teachers have a responsibility to show our students that it is our civic duty to provide support for one another.

Our mission at KLRN is to enrich our viewers with quality educational programing and events. One such event is KLRN’s Not in Our Town Week of Action (September 18-24), during which we’ll be having a FREE public screening of the film on Tues., Sept. 20 at 6:00 PM at the P.E.A.C.E Initiative Offices at the San Antonio Mennonite Church (1443 South St. Mary’s Street). This film documents the effects that hate can have on a community. Following the screening, there will be a panel discussion. We want our community to be informed in order to prevent this from happening in our fair city.

This is just one event that is happening in our city that can inspire your students to take action and make a difference. There are so many opportunities to work with your students to strengthen our community by engaging them in service. Plant a community garden, collect can foods for the San Antonio Food Bank or maybe just help by picking up the trash around your campus. Every little bit helps

So my question to you this month is: What are your students doing to help in their community?