Each September, PMSC AmeriCorps members engage in the National Day of Service by serving at the Flight 93 National Memorial. Members are honored to transport family survivors of Flight 93 passengers to the annual memorial service, help the National Park Service direct thousands of visitors, escort honored guests, and take a few special moments to visit, learn, and remember. Members often report how humbled and honored they are to participate in such a special day of service and remembrance. This year, PMSC AmeriCorps member Kayla Yoder allowed her experience at Flight 93 National Memorial to directly impact her term of National Service with Conemaugh Township Area School District students and families.
Inspired by her service on September 11, 2022, Ms. Yoder knew she had to help her Middle School learners experience the Flight 93 National Memorial grounds and to learn the history. So, when CT’s educators challenged 6th and 7th graders to read Tom Rinaldi’s, The Red Bandana, (the true story of Welles Crowther, “a Flight 93 passenger whose actions on 9/11 offer a lasting lesson on character, calling and courage”), Yoder knew she would take the lead on arranging a student enrichment opportunity like none other. Encouraged by the symbol of the red bandana as a marker of self-sacrifice, Kayla began making plans to bring students to Flight 93 National Memorial for their end-of-year field trip–seamlessly facilitating a cross-discipline experience. Meanwhile, as learners completed the novel, each middle school student received “a red bandana to hang in their lockers to think about what they can do in service to others in honor of [Welles Crowther’s] life.” Coalescing literacy benchmarks with inspiring a life of service, Kayla Yoder embodies the PMSC AmeriCorps spirit of service and creativity.
Earlier this month, as CT Middle School students visited the, “Exhibit Building and looked at all of the different artifacts, walked down the path to the Plaza Walkway, the Hemlock Grove, Impact Sight and the Wall of Names,” they reflected on the life and service of Welles Crowther, challenged one another to brainstorm possible service ideas to their own community, and, as Yoder reported, “they were changed by what they saw.” Without Ms. Yoder’s vision, organization, and commitment to this cross-discipline enrichment opportunity, CT learners may not have experienced such a profound impact on their lives. As these teens grow into young adults, they will reflect on opportunities such as this one that helped shape their perspective on service to others.
PMSC AmeriCorps members consistently elevate their terms of National Service to the next level by uniquely merging experiences and skills gained from earlier chapters of their lives, at their host sites, and out in the field with fellow Corps members. Though the school year has drawn to a close, red bandanas undoubtedly hold special places in CT students’ minds and hearts– more importantly, their symbolism now has a profound impact on future lives of service through Kayla Yoder’s determination to bring out the best of Conemaugh Township School District, Pennsylvania, and America.
You can make a difference in your community, too. Visit www.pmsc.org/current-positions/ for a listing of current opportunities to serve. 2023-2024 positions are now open.
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