In an outpouring of compassion and concern for those whose lives were devastated by the 2004 tsunami disaster that ripped through South Asia, school children from Michigan and across the nation held fundraisers and collected clothing, food and medicine to aid the tens of thousands of now-homeless survivors.

Learning to Give is playing a unique and key role in this effort by becoming a coalition member of Quarters From Kids, which was launched by a coalition of nonprofit and youth-service organizations from across the nation to respond to the plight of those affected by this natural disaster.

"We received a call from Kyle Caldwell of Connect Michigan Alliance asking us to become involved in this tremendously important effort," says Dr. Kathryn A. Agard, executive director of Learning to Give. "We immediately offered to help."

Learning to Give immediately developed two new lesson plans. In "You Can Count On Me!" K-5 students learn basic economic concepts about personal finance by choosing ways to use their resources.

For grades 6-12, the "Power, Generosity and Leadership" lesson plan asks students to define philanthropy and give examples of motivations for giving; research the mission and work of various nonprofit organizations and form a group and individual focus for future philanthropy; describe the innumerable problems that a devastating event can cause for a region and illustrate the work of national and international nonprofits providing aid there; and reflect on the importance of philanthropy.

"Because of our Learning to Give lessons on philanthropy, the students in our class have become very aware of the importance of helping others through the gifts of our time, talents and money," says Sandy Weiss, co-teacher of a second/third grade multiage class at South Haven Public Schools.

The lessons learned by the students in the core curriculum – on the responsibilities of individuals voluntarily to pursue the common good, the power of citizens who join together to affect change, motivations for altruism, and the role of the non profit sector – prepared the students to respond to the tsunami victims because they had mastered a theoretical grounding and a civic language to support their actions.