If you take a tour of Self Development Academy (SDA), you are bound to observe such good deeds as students holding the door open for the teacher, a master teacher coaching a first-year teacher, and kindergarteners showing one another how to mindfully breathe when they are upset.
Sure, SDA has received many accolades and repeatedly ranks top among the schools in the state and nation. But it isn’t only the academics that makes SDA unique. What also makes SDA unique is the emphasis on being responsible to the community to make it just a little bit better.
At SDA, it is the students’ sense of duty to their community which is tantamount to their pursuit of knowledge and truth. This duty is compelling SDA students to fight against COVID-19 as it ravages hospitals and nursing homes.
Gift Card Donation Program
When the school closures were announced on March 15 in Mesa, Self Development leaders wanted to do something special to cheer the students who had looked forward to seeing their friends and returning to school. With a generous donation from Self Development Preschool, SDA distributed McDonald’s gift cards to its families at all of its four campuses. The program allowed SDA to connect with the families and give them a little assistance in the time of need.
Make and Donate Necessary PPE to Hospitals and Nursing Homes
With school out, some of the SDA-Mesa students are spending time right next door at Self Development Preschool/Extended Day Program. After learning about a shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE), these enterprising preschool and SDA students learned how to sew in order to make PPE for nursing homes and hospitals. Almost daily, students at both the preschool and academy are spending their time, and giving their hearts, to make sure healthcare providers have enough protective equipment.
Community Swap Program — Give What You Can, Take What You Need
Self Development is hosting a weekly Community Swap program every Wednesday, starting April 15. It’s a way for the community to support itself. Community members are encouraged to stop by and give what they can; and they can also take whatever they need. By doing so, our communities can learn what we teach our kindergarteners — the importance of sharing.
If you are interested in donating, come by Self Development Preschool every Wednesday and donate your supplies. Please use the wipes to sanitize your donated products.
If you need a hand, come by Self Development Preschool every Wednesday and see if there is anything that fits your needs.
Art Donation Program — Make and Donate Art Projects for Nursing Homes
Also, on April 15, Self Development started working with artists across the Valley, as well as students and families of our various campuses, to donate created artwork and wellness cards to seniors in nursing homes. Remember, the coronavirus has left our nursing home grandparents isolated without contact with their families and close friends. Art can speak so much, especially to those with family with whom they cannot speak.
If you are an artist and want to donate a piece of art you think will brighten the hearts of the greatest generation, please contact us.
Social distancing rules make vivid the significance of community support and encouragement. We cannot let what is breaking our bodies break our bond. It is our struggles that give us our greatest strengths. It is our communities that keep us free.
For more information about how you can get involved, or to learn more about Self Development Academy or Self Development Preschool, please call (480) 641-2640 or (480) 396-3522, and ask for Vernetta Madsen.