Students in Shannon Merrill’s fifth grade class create goodie bags.

by Jen Oemig

CHELMSFORD – Inspired by the Mahatma Gandhi quote, “Be the change you wish to see in the world,” Parker Middle School students and staff embarked on a service-learning project to make a positive impact on the world around them.

The Be the Change Project served as an opportunity to empower students to make a difference in their school, community, or on an even larger scale.

“Every staff member and student are involved in the Parker Be the Change Project,” said Principal Josh Blagg. “We endeavor to provide our students and faculty with ways to make a difference in the world now.”

Numerous teams were established, and each had the three-week period from Dec. 2-20 to make a positive impact locally, nationally or globally.

The teams were tasked with identifying a problem that needs changing, then planning and executing a strategy to make that change.

“It is our hope that this project kindles a love of service and the benefits it gives not only to those who receive the service but for the students performing the service,” Blagg said. “We seek to empower our kids to see the impact they can have on their community. I am so proud of their efforts under the guidance of our amazing staff.”

Art teacher Ashley Norman and her students created a mural of Anne Frank out of individual panels that formed a larger visage.

A banner proclaiming “Be the Change you wish to see in the world” was displayed proudly in the main lobby of Parker Middle School throughout the month of December.

Parker art teacher Ashley Norman and her students also created a mural of Anne Frank out of individual panels that formed a larger visage.

Fifth grade teacher Shannon Merrill helped lead one of the groups, the Team 5A Explorers, in creating goodie bags for nursing home residents.

“They’ve had fun,” she said of the students. “All of the kids are really having a good time.”

In addition to filling them with treats, each student was tasked with selecting a message that would accompany their goodie bags.

“They really thought about the messages and what they wanted to say,” she said. “We wanted them to be upbeat and positive and they really did a great job with it.”

Merrill said she has enjoyed seeing her students get excited about helping others.

“Sometimes, we forget that you can always do something nice for someone else,” she said. “And it’s as simple as making someone smile or making someone happy.”

Though nothing has been decided as of yet, Merrill said she anticipates Be the Change will evolve and grow in the coming years.

The following were the projects teams committed to during Be the Change:

• Creating welcome folders containing helpful information about the school and community for new students
• Assembling goodie bags with kind messages for the elderly and hospitalized
• Making holiday cards to deliver to local nursing homes in town, as well as placing messages of kindness on lockers of fellow students
• Putting together pediatric comfort care bags with motivational cards to be delivered to Emerson Hospital
• Conducting a food drive and making cards for the less fortunate to be delivered to the Chelmsford Food Pantry
• Creating bracelets/placemats/crafts for the elderly who visit Table of Plenty
• Raising money to dig wells in Africa, as well as raising awareness regarding use of water locally
• Holding a children’s book drive and making bookmarks to be donated to a local organization