Coloring and stickers are activities every second grader is familiar with, but for these young students, creating donation bags for cancer patients is out of the ordinary.

The Virginia Teachers for Tomorrow Program (VTfT) identifies and trains high school students interested in pursuing a career in teaching.  An internship is one of the requirements for the program as it gives students a real-world experience.  Elementary school teachers encourage their internship students to actively participate and develop engaging lessons and activities.

Senior Brooke Moore currently volunteers with a second grade class at Thoroughgood Elementary School through the school’s VTfT class.  It was Moore who developed the idea to create and donate items for Children’s Hospital for the King’s Daughters (CHKD) patients, turning the project into a reality.

“Crayons, bubbles, puzzles, and Play-Doh were some of the objects in the bags which were donated from the school,” Moore said.

Moore was looking for a creative project that would make a difference outside of the classroom.  She searched for inspiration and came across an innovative idea that also met her classroom objectives.

Thoroughgood Elementary teacher Jean Jones noticed how Moore captured the students’ attention while still following the curriculum.

“She hooked the students by reading them a book. She then taught a lesson about friendly letters and had the class brainstorm and write a letter to each child, working on language arts and writing objectives,” Jones said.

In order for the kids to fully appreciate the project, Moore wanted them to understand why it is important.  She knew the students would react more positively if they felt a connection to the patients, especially since they are the same age.

“At first they didn’t understand what the chemobags were for, but once I explained that the kids were sick and went through chemo, they started to understand and were all on board,” Moore said.

VTfT instructor Jennifer Nardelli is a strong supporter of the project and loves Moore’s original idea.

“Moore is a wonderful VTfT student and the kids are awesome for their efforts of making the chemobags,” Nardelli said.