Students from the seven Hicksville elementary schools recently offered to be “little doctors” by actively participating in blood drives coordinated by building PTAs and the New York Blood Center.
“The Little Doctors program is an opportunity for students to learn the value of volunteerism and the importance of participating in community service,” said Fork Lane School Principal Christopher Scardino.
Students are provided with hospital lab coats and given instruction on how to best assist potential donors before clinicians take over the process. More importantly, the students help those who have just given blood recover by serving replenishing drinks and snacks.
One of the goals of the Little Doctors program is to give students the experience of organizing and planning a community blood drive. According to the New York Blood Center, this after-school program neatly complements the science curriculum requirements for grades 5-8, in particular the sixth-grade curriculum. The Hicksville PTA is instrumental in organizing blood drives throughout the school district.
