An important facet of the Ocean Charter School is the involvement of the larger community. This has been accomplished by establishing relationships with community groups, other educational institutions, as well as through community service projects. Our aim is to both serve and be served by the community. We invite guest teachers, take field trips, and become an outlet for people who want to make artistic, social, and cultural contributions of performances, sports, etc. to the children of our city.
One of our goals at Ocean Charter School is to educate children in such a way that they are able to envision and create a peaceful world as adults. Doing things for others contributes to a sense of self-sufficiency, self esteem, and accomplishment, as well as strengthens qualities of self-discipline, perseverance, patience, and imagination. Ocean Charter School utilizes resources on the internet recommended by the Alliance for Childhood[1] such as “Teachers Resisting Unhealthy Children’s Entertainment” (www.truceteachers.org) which prepares an annual guide to help parents choose good toys and The Lion and Lamb Project (www.lionlamb.org) which focuses on how to avoid toys of violence. Other resources for global understanding are the Karuna Center for Peacebuilding (www.karunacenter.org) Facing History and Ourselves (www.facinghistory.org) and the Public Conversations Project (www.publicconversations.org).
Community service is an intrinsic part of that goal. Bringing children into contact with those less fortunate than themselves and caring for the environment helps broaden their understanding of the realities of our society. It helps them develop compassion and empathy for others as well as a desire and will to help. A service project for a class also helps build a spirit of community within the class. Working together towards a common goal helps develop skills in cooperation and working together. This is one reason why service projects are important even in the early grades. The children learn to work together and to trust one another. Taking care and beautifying a corner of the school property, or making a contribution to a school festival celebration are appropriate tasks for the early grades. This introduces them to the satisfaction of doing something practical that benefits others and where they can see an immediate effect.