Maroa Forsyth Middle Student Initiatives

MAROA, Ill. (WAND) — Students at Maroa Forsyth Middle School are helping out their community through project-based learning.

"Through project-based learning, we have created projects that the end goal is to do something awesome for our community members," Sara Nave, an 8th grade teacher at the school, said.

Alex Amettis, an 8th grader involved in the projects, added, "We think about how we can better our community and the town we live in. And so it started with us thinking about what different things we could do, really just brainstorming what we could do to make our community better."

So far, students have established a food sharing program and added a little library for kids that don't have access to books.

"They are realizing just how much hunger or just how much basic needs not being met in our community there are." Nave continued, "And so, it's really wonderful to see them not only figure out what the needs are, but then what they can do in the capacity of 8th graders."

Students have learned that fundraising is where they can really make their mark.

"During our final exams we were trying to find a way to relieve pressure off the kids and stuff. So, we decided to do a bake sale and hot cocoa bar," said Maddox Wallen, an 8th grader at Maroa Forsyth Middle. "All the money we made went to the Humane Society in Macon County."

To no one's surprise, a chance to pie a teacher in the face has been one of the most successful fundraisers to date.

"We are having a canned food drive and for every can that you bring in, you get to have a raffle ticket and put it in a bin for each teacher," Claira Timmons, an 8th grader involved in the fundraiser, said. "At the end of the week, we'll draw a ticket out of each teacher's bin, and if your name gets called you get to pie them in the face."

Students will pitch their idea for a dog park in Maroa to the City Board later this month.