MAD – Make a difference – how can we contribute to our community
Everyone can contribute something to our society. In fact it feels great helping someone else out, or doing something that benefits more than just yourself. Contributing to others, creates a sense of community, and also feels good when others support and include your own needs.
What is the Make a Difference Programme?
The MAD – Make a Difference programme promotes engagement with a cause, group, idea or action that has an impact beyond the student. Ideas include painting a school mural, writing a website to raise awareness about animal care, producing music for others to enjoy, walking a neighbour’s pet, cleaning for someone who might find that tough, child care and so on.
The Purpose of MAD is to consider others before self. It sits alongside two other core curriculum areas at PEACE EXPERIMENT. MAD is an annual event, while PPP – Personal Peace Project lasts for a term. SDG – Sustainable Development Goals change every two or three weeks. Students also choose up to 3 other subjects of personal interest, which also rotate around every two or three weeks.
How do we run our MAD Programme at Peace Experiment Montessori?
The students can load their ideas onto MYMAHI which a student learning app and is available to schools in New Zealand for free. Education occurs throughout the day, and is not limited to times while in the school building. So students can load their work, evidence, ideas, suggestions, requests for help and responses to challenges at any time. The mentors are notified of any requests for review, and respond at another time. Students can choose any form of evidence or response from art, through to video, choreography, preparing a meal or whatever. It is exciting to choose both the topic and response medium.
MAD is about doing something for others, and many have found that it is hard to do something for others that doesn’t benefit yourself.
MAD has been a great success at Peace Experiment, so if you’d like to hear more please get in touch!