2nd & 3rd Grade Wagon Train

If you are part of The College School community, you’ve probably been a part of it. Or at least you would have seen photos or video. Determined but cheerful seven- and eight-year-olds load the wagons, packing things just so. Two cans of peas. A box of Cheerios. The can of tuna fits nicely between.

This child-powered train of wagons winds its way through the neighborhood, bound for the food pantry at Emmanuel Episcopal Church nearly a mile away.

It’s our annual “Wagon Train of Food.” It’s our way of connecting our students with the realization that need and hunger exist in their own community. And if you’ve been part of it, you’ve seen the pride and satisfaction on the faces of the children when they reach their destination and begin to unload their humble but bountiful offering.

At its heart, the Wagon Train is a food drive, collecting non-perishable foods for donation. For the students, the Wagon Train is a four-week lesson in persuasive writing, presentation skills, poster design, counting and graphing…and compassion.

Why do we bother with an event that absorbs so much time and energy? We bother because we believe that caring is an important life lesson. We want our students to under-stand that it’s their job to make the world a better place.  The College School believes that it is our responsibility to develop concerned, compassionate citizens of the world.