October 2009 • Volume 13 • Number 2 • Page 2
Editor's Note
Editor, Pat George
As I watched the memorial services
for Senator Edward M. Kennedy, I was moved by the anecdotes, personal reflections, and more formal presentations that celebrated this one man's service to others—service that spanned well beyond the 47 years he served this country and its citizens as a U. S. Senator.
There was the story of a war veteran who was having trouble getting his GI Bill money for education. After months of trying, he called Ted Kennedy's office and received the money the next day.
I heard a middle-aged man recall that as young boy, he lost his leg to cancer. He wrote to Kennedy to tell him that, like the Senator's son, he was struggling to cope. Kennedy responded with a handwritten letter of encouragement and hope.
With healthcare on the front burner, there were many stories of how the senator had come to the aid of ailing citizens and immigrants. One woman shared that an industrial accident left her paralyzed at age 22. Frustrated with her inadequate insurance and her doctors' lack of attention or compassion, she asked Senator Kennedy if there was anything he could do. Within 48 hours a new doctor was at her bedside helping plan her rehabilitation.
Yes, Senator Kennedy had his faults. As his son, Ted Jr., said during the eulogy, "He was not perfect, far from it. But my father believed in redemption and he never surrendered. Never stopped trying to right wrongs, be they the results of his own failings or of ours."
I don't intend this to be a memorial to Senator Kennedy, but a link between what he stood for and what we hope to instill in our young adolescents: the importance of service to others. The signing of the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act in March heralded a renewed focus on service-learning. In fact, the act creates opportunities for all Americans, young and old, to help build a better country.
For example, it establishes the Summer of Service program that engages middle and high school students in volunteer activities in their communities and allows them to earn a $500 education award to be used for college costs. It also establishes a new service-learning program to engage low-income high school students and out-of-school youth in volunteer efforts that address challenges in their local communities.
Ted Kennedy was an influential man from an influential family, and he was able to leverage that stature to help the less fortunate no matter what their needs. But he also recognized that each one of us has the power within to make a difference in the lives of others. And that was his call to action.
As you read this issue of Middle Ground, I hope you are inspired to involve your young adolescents in service-learning activities. From making and selling bookmarks to raise funds for the victims of Hurricane Katrina, to promoting peace through the arts, to improving water quality in the community, you'll find examples of service-learning activities that can serve as a jumping-off point for your class, your school, and even your district.
Copyright © 2009 by National Middle School Association