By Deanna Devey
Ice-skates, boots, high-heels and flip-flops. Blue shoes, green shoes, running shoes and climbing shoes.
A group of 4-year-olds decided to serve by sharing their shoes with a local recovery center Wednesday Feb. 26.
About 40 students from BYU''s preschool went to a shelter to donate the items and share what they have learned about shoes.
'We talked about why shoes are important and decided that a lot of the kids wanted to share the shoes,' said Dorie Haws, head teacher at BYU''s preschool.
The project began when the children learned about firefighters and became interested in their boots, Haws said.
As a result, teachers decided to create a unit on shoes.
'This is actually the first one where we''ve actually done a service learning project out in the community,' Haws said.
The preschoolers have been learning about shoes for seven weeks, Haws said. They have learned about shoe stores and shoe repair shops, shoes with lights and shoes cut open. The student teachers have taken charge of the project, Haws said.
'One of the things they wanted to do was have a culminating activity like a service learning project,' she said.
The student teachers contacted nine agencies in Utah Valley and chose a local shelter to receive the shoes.
Parents donated several pairs of shoes, toys and clothes for the shelter, said Ann Ure, BYU''s preschool administrator.
The students created drawings and books to tell the children at the shelter what they have studied during the past weeks, Ure said.
'Usually, kids at four have difficulty grasping service,' Ure said. To solve this problem, the teachers had a puppet show to illustrate how some kids have shoes and some do not.
Some of the 4-year-olds started to serve even before the field trip.
One girl, who did not have a pair of shoes to donate, entered the room. The teacher then asked if anyone had any extra shoes. Without hesitation, a blond-haired girl holding two shoeboxes said she would give away one of her pairs of shoes.
'I hope that they get the whole idea of giving, Haws said. 'They''re realizing the feelings that happen when they give and when we take and share with others.'
The preschool, across from Helaman Halls, is open to anyone in the community. However, the school gives BYU faculty first preference, students second and community third, Haws said.
Full-time teachers, student teachers and practicum students teach the preschool classes, Haws said.