Did you know that 39 of our schools are participating in a service learning program called the Penny Harvest? The program empowers our students to achieve their own potential, while creating positive outcomes for both themselves and our community at large. It puts students in-charge of identifying, researching, understanding and helping to address the needs of others in our community. Research has shown its positive outcomes for students, including higher academic engagement, increased self-esteem and the development of critical thinking, communication and leadership skills. The student’s management and direct control of the process is what makes the Penny Harvest unique. In the coming weeks, CEA will highlight great success stories from our schools.

The Penny Harvest students have a chance to go down in the record books and make history. To culminate the 2011–2012 Penny Harvest year, to celebrate the Columbus Bicentennial and to show the community the power of our children, they will set a new world record by laying down the longest, continuous chain of pennies (75 miles). We need you to volunteer and help Penny Harvest break the world’s record.

The event will be held at Genoa Park on Sunday, June 3 (last day of the Columbus Arts Festival). The penny chain will symbolize what our students can do when they are given the opportunity to lead and to help. This year in the Penny Harvest, students from across our community have collected $50,125.59 in spare change. After identifying and researching local issues, they will give back every penny of the money they raised to help others. By the spring, students will have raised and given away 75 miles worth of pennies to help our community.

Breaking the world record will bring awareness of what area students have accomplished and will inspire others to become engaged in working together to support our community. Register to volunteer at https://pennyrecord.seekidsdream.org/Event2011/Volunteer2012.aspx.