Whether it is teaching beginner skills for girls field hockey, collecting donations to further the philanthropic work of Kitchens For Good, Unity 4 Orphans, or enjoying December sunshine while keeping local beaches clean, Pacific Beach Middle eighth-grade students are putting the finishing touches on their required community service projects.

PBMS is an International Baccalaureate school, which means its staff and community are dedicated to an unique instructional model and curriculum plan that emphasizes an inquiry based approach to teaching and learning. All IB schools emphasize the development of a student learner’s profile: to be a knowledgeable, inquiring, open-minded, and respectful thinker.

IB students learn to communicate, complete challenging course work, act with integrity, and recognize their interdependence with other people and the world in which they live. As an IB school, PBMS requires students to complete community service hours each year: sixth grade students document 10 hours, seventh graders need 15 hours, and eighth grade students are required to complete a minimum of 20 hours that becomes their community service project.

“The community service project kicks off for eighth grade students in September,” said Ashley Hensen, IB coordinator at PBMS. “I encourage students to select a project or topic that they are passionate about or one that matches their hobbies.

“The final project format is digital and highlights the four phases of the project: research, planning, action, and reflection,” Hensen said. “We have incredible projects this year that reflect the commitment and compassion of our eighth-grade class.”

Eighth-grade students Owen and Grace Sortland created a community service project to support Unity 4 Orphans, a philanthropic organization headquartered in the beach area. “I knew Owen and I wanted to help people. Through our research, we discovered Unity 4 Orphans,” Grace Sortland said.

“We were immediately drawn to the organization and their focus on helping children in Mexico. We contacted Joe Brandi, the founder of Unity 4 Orphans. He welcomed our efforts and gave us the go-ahead.”

“We made the posters advertising the need to support orphanages in Mexico, set up a GoFundMe page, and organized the donation process. We were looking for sports equipment, board games, clean bedding and clothing, as well as non-perishable food stuffs,” Owen Sortland said.

Was the project successful? “Yes,” said Grace Sortland. “We received over 25 bags and boxes of donations and $250 from the GoFundMe page. We collected donations at school as well as community members and parents delivered donations to our home. We delivered the donations to Mr. Brandi in early February.”

When asked how it feels to have their project, the Sortlands said they are “proud” and “grateful.”

“I am grateful that I had a chance to raise money and toys for deserving kids,” Owen Sortland said.

“I feel very proud and grateful for the generosity of the community. I hope and want this project to bring more attention to Mr. Brandi’s organization and goals, as well as spread awareness about the children Mr. Brandi helps,” Grace Sortland said.

After having a chance to reflect on their project, the Sortlands agreed that making more contacts with businesses and putting up more GoFundMe fliers would have boosted monetary donations.

Having clean beaches is important to three eighth grade students – Isabella Berg, Tabitha Beck, and Pietra Tiburcio – and the centerpiece of their community service project. They held two beach clean-up days last December – one at Mission Beach and another at De Anza Cove.

“We chose the focus of a beach clean up because it is something the three of us are passionate about. We wanted our project to reflect something that we really cared about,” Berg said.

“All three of us love the beach. A beach clean up was a practical way to show we think clean beaches are important for everyone,” Tiburcio added.

The three students also made friendship bracelets that were distributed at the end of the clean-up. “Giving out friendship bracelets was a fun way to involve more people and to thank them for their help in keeping our beaches clean,” Beck said.

What’s next for the community service projects? “In early April, eighth-grade students will hold a gallery walk for sixth and seventh graders. A gallery walk is an opportunity for sixth and seventh graders to view the projects, give feed back to eighth-grade presenters, and perhaps spark an idea for a community service project among our younger students,” Hensen said.

On Wednesday, April 17 from 4-6 p.m., the IB Showcase will be at PBMS. Eighth grade students will present their final project to their parents and interested members of the public.

“Our school’s community service component empowers our students to realize they can solve real-world problems and have a positive impact on their community. Spend enough time in Pacific Beach and you are bound to see PBMS projects such as plaques featuring art work of endangered species on trash cans, beach clean-ups, small libraries, Wetlands Day, sports clinics, and various events supported and staffed by middle schoolers,” Hensen said. “And maybe one day they’ll keep their promise and fix the potholes on Ingraham Street.”