One school is swapping out traditional physical education activities for yard work….and the elderly are benefiting.
Students at the Alternative Learning Center in Dubuque, Iowa, can now receive physical education credit when they help senior citizens or people with disabilities with their landscaping needs.
The school itself provides an alternative setting for junior and senior high school students who have struggled to succeed at more traditional schools.
The students have been identified as in danger of dropping out of school entirely. At ALC, they can focus on project-based and independent learning opportunities designed to get them back on the path toward graduation.
The landscaping program, in particular, has proven beneficial both for the students and the community. It has helped in building relationships, too. The kids do whatever homeowners need for about two hours a day during the last few school weeks, including raking, pulling weeds, cleaning gutters, cutting bamboo — even tending to chicken coops.
Tim Hitzler, a teacher at the school, told local news station KWWL that giving the students this option during the last two weeks of classes is a great opportunity for them to give back while getting a workout at the same time.
Typical yardwork activities can offer a significant calorie burn as well as provide the benefits of your average cardio or strength-building workout.
The program has proven so popular with the students that some of them choose to continue volunteering over the summer.