Stone by Stone

This project originated from the incredible destruction that has occurred in our local cemetery. The historic value of these cemeteries in enormous as is their history and heritage of the people of New Bedford. In collaboration with the Cemetery Board and New Bedford Historical Society a team of teachers will implement Stone by Stone, a project to restore vandalized headstones in our local cemetery. The program will be a cross curriculum project for a team of 125 students. This interdisciplinary project will include numerous curricularly relevant elements, reseach of cemetery names, historical figures and their connection to community, diseases past and present and its effects on families and their life span. Students will study and witness firsthand the deleterious effects of vandalism and become empowered contributors to community by repairing damaged headstones in local cemeteries as a community service learning classroom project.  This project will provide a unique opportunity to connect the classrooom to the outside world. Students will be able to take ownership in their community, and participate in a project that will boost self-esteem and be appreciated by community members.