Opportunity for Kids to Contribute in North Texas – SLANT 45

The Super Bowl is coming to North Texas next year. It is something that we are all excited about. It is a novelty of epic proportions. We are all looking forward to the game, the circus of events that surround it and the positive economic impact it will have on our community.   The Super Bowl planning committee has given us an additional reason to cheer… SLANT 45

SLANT 45 stands for – Service Learning Adventures in North Texas – for Super Bowl 45.   It is a way for kids to get involved and take volunteerism to a whole new level.   In fact, it is the LARGEST service learning initiative ever undertaken. Everything is BIGGER in Texas. What is SLANT 45? An adult coach gathers a group of kids to plan and implement a simple project to improve the community.   The group could be a family, a group of friends, a soccer team, a girl scout troop, a classroom…you get the idea.   They are trying to keep the numbers to less than 25 kids per adult coach.   The team submits the idea/project through the SLANT 45 website and utilizes the resources and information provided there.   No project is too small.   After the team completes the project, the kids submit a simple art project that reflects their experience. The art project will become part of a traveling art show.   The SLANT 45 experience throughout North Texas will be captured by a documentary film crew. And at the end there will be a super big party for all the kids that participate…so fun. I went to one of the first training sessions last Friday at NISD to get more information. You don’t have to attend a training session to participate.   Everything that they showed to us is available on the website.   Once a coach signs up, they will be sent a Coach’s Playbook and teammate playbooks for each child.   The coach’s playbook takes the adult step by step through leading the kids through the service learning process. The kid’s playbook is written at a 3-5th grade level (any age child is encouraged to participate) and helps the child record each step of the project.   It is colorful and just looks like a lot of fun. The whole process is very simple and will be advertised throughout North Texas on all sorts of media.   Here are some billboards you may see throughout the metroplex. During the meeting I took notes and posted them to Twitter. I am posting a copy of these notes because I am afraid that the room full of teachers were a little disturbed that I was on my phone the whole meeting and appeared to be texting.   You can find out more information about SLANT 45 on Twitter by searching for #SLANT45. For the record, I was being productive! I am really excited about this project.   Big Thought, the people behind the plan, are hoping for more than 20,000 kids in our area to get involved.   I am planning a project with my boys and will be pitching another idea to my homeschool group. Burb Mom would LOVE to follow some of your SLANT 45 stories…how YOU get your kids involved in service learning through this really amazing project. Check out the SLANT 45 website by clicking here.