GC students serve in Belize, one of many opportunities for service learning

Global change is at the core of a new club at Greenfield-Central High School, and a group of students took that mission to heart this summer. 

Greenfield Cougars for Global Change (GC4GC) went to Belize on an adventure in June to explore the culture and help those in need.

The new GCHS club has a mission to serve the community both locally and abroad. A group of nine students and two teachers helped run a health clinic, and even dug ditches for a public restroom for the clinic.

It was hard work but so rewarding, as students came back with even more of a passion to help others.

For Carolina Sanders, all it really took was holding the hand of a little girl named Amberly.

Carolina met Amberly during her favorite part of the trip.

“We were chatting and she was telling me all about her brothers and what she does at home after school. The whole time we were talking, she was holding my hand,” said Carolina, who graduated from GCHS this year. “After she had gotten through all the checkups, she ran back to her classroom and brought me a cookie from her lunch box and a hug. It was a  super sweet moment and it made me feel like I was putting some good and kindness in the world.”

Spanish teachers Erika Amador and Erin Grimes chaperoned the trip, but students didn’t need to know Spanish to go. Rather, it was for those who wanted to explore the world and make a difference. 

Travelers included Gus Contreras, Kathryn Fine, Nora Hull, Alex Lawson, Paige McCarley, Joe Parker, Harper Rahe, Carolina Sanders and Cole Stringer.

This is the first trip for Greenfield Cougars for Global Change (GC4GC). While GC students have traveled abroad before to embrace the culture, this is the first time there’s been an element of community service in a trip abroad.

In Belize, GC students ran a clinic at a school, checking the height, weight and oxygen levels for students and staff. 

They also worked  in temperatures well over 100 degrees, digging ditches for public restrooms at the school.

The trip is one of many ways Greenfield-Central schools encourage service learning. Children as young as preschool are encouraged to think of others. Student councils begin at the third grade level, encouraging students to serve their schools and help run food drives for the community.

 Unified Champions encourages games and inclusion across all abilities for multiple grade levels. Maxwell Intermediate School offers honor society, student council, and even a club for fifth and sixth grade boys to learn chivalry and how to give back to the community.

By the time students reach junior and senior high school, there are even more clubs and opportunities to give back. The GC Cares Club, for example, has junior high students volunteering at the local soup kitchen and food pantry. 

Superintendent Dr. Harold Olin said honor societies, student leadership academies and local clubs are great ways for students to give back to the community. One of the five components of the Greenfield-Central Profile of a Graduate is “citizenship.” GC wants students to be engaged with the community and civically responsible.

Carolina Sanders says that theme is clear at GC, and she is grateful for the direction in her life both academically and civically. The trip to Belize was just one part of a long-lasting impact the schools have had on her.

“GC always has some sort of opportunity for students to get more involved in both the community and school life,” Carolina says. “I think the fact that all teachers, administrators and coaches constantly encouraging you and pushing you to be the best you can be has had a major impact on me wanting to help others.”

Carolina, who graduated this year and will major in elementary education at Anderson University, said the trip taught her gratitude.

“In America everyone wants to achieve the American Dream– they want money and fame and goods,” she said. “Most people in America aren’t happy unless they have those things. But in Belize, life is much slower and people are much happier. It helped me to be happy where I am.”

Alexander Lawson says he learned a lot about Belize throughout the trip, and also learned the value of hard work and that it’s important to try new things. 

Currently a GC senior, Alexander plans to study chemistry at Notre Dame next year. But he will take his experience from Belize with him.

“I really enjoyed helping build the restroom for the hospital, because it was hard work unlike everything else I’ve done,” he said. “Greenfield-Central High School is chock-full of different Honor Societies, and they introduced me to the idea of helping people ‘just because.’  That idea soon formed into the basis of me wanting to help people, and it allowed me to achieve what I did on the trip.”

The eight-day trip also included  adventures like cave tubing, Mayan chocolate making, cooking classes and a hike through the jungle to explore the ancient Mayan ruins of Tikal.

Teacher Erika Amador said it was such a privilege to watch the GC students step into action, ready to serve the residents of Belize. Some of the students that were usually reserved in class were the first to grab shovels and start digging, or request student rosters from the teachers at the school.

“It was clear that these students were passionate  about helping others, but watching them grow as individuals was truly remarkable,” she said. “I am excited to see how this personal growth and the new skills they gained will directly impact their daily lives and our community.”

Coming up in 2028, GC4GC will explore Guatemala in another service learning trip.

Meanwhile, GCHS will continue to provide service learning opportunities. The school’s LEAP program has service built into the curriculum; the radio and TV programs explore the community and promote nonprofit events and charities. The school’s teaching pathway also gives back to the district by supporting classrooms and assisting teachers.

Principal Dan Walbaum says students can apply up to 25 hours of service toward their work-based learning experience in their diploma. 

He says the group that went to Belize is a great example of real and meaningful impact.

“The hard work involved to make actual improvements in hygiene and infrastructure should be widely admired,” Walbaum said. “We spend a lot of time working toward our graduation rate goal, but we also want to ensure that our graduates are well-rounded and prepared for enrollment, employment, or enlistment. Service learning can contribute to a much more complete high school experience for our students.”  

By Maribeth Vaughn