Monday, January 20 is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, also known as MLK Day of Service. The holiday is both a celebration of Dr. King’s birthday and the only holiday designated by Congress as a national “day of service.” It earned that distinction in 1994 and since then, the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) has led the charge in commemorating it. Each year, the CNCS awards grants to various organizations to be used for projects on MLK Day of Service. Projects include delivering meals, refurbishing schools and community centers, and collecting food and clothing. This year’s grantees are:
Youth Service America
Samaritan’s Feet
The ARC of the United States
Hands on Atlanta, Inc.
Marietta College
St. James Parish Library
Montgomery County Volunteer Center
United Way of the Dutchess-Orange Region
Literacy NJ
NY Cares, Inc.
New Stories
Stephen F. Austin State University
Center for Food Action
To find a service opportunity near you, download free lesson plans in eight different languages, and much more visit https://www.nationalservice.gov/serve/search#q=mlk%20day%20of%20service.
The Character Tree, which provides online video lessons on character development, is offering a FREE video lesson on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. This is a great resource to share with children in the classroom or at home. To access the video, as well as samples of other video lessons, visit: https://charactertree.com/
In the video, the The Character Tree’s “Miss Sara” shares the story of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and describes the character trait of perseverance. The video also highlights other examples of perseverance such as learning to read in braille and getting help with a speech impediment.
