Along with the day-to-day agenda of academics, when a whole school rallies to help one particular child in crisis (Sparrow), the students learn as much from this "hidden curriculum of caring as an institutional pattern and practice, as they do from the formal curriculum of concepts and facts" (Parker Palmer). The adoption of a Sparrow sets the stage for caring, empathy and simple yet heroic acts of kindness to be played out in ways that positively change an entire school community.

The Sparrow Clubs organization facilitates this by matching local children in medical need/crisis, with neighborhood schools and young people who ‘adopt’ the child and family. Local businesses and corporations support both the child and the school by pledging seed money to sponsor Sparrow Projects. Ultimately, Sparrow Clubs do much more than simply provide financial and emotional support for critically ill children and their families. By allowing youth who are personally hurting to help medically needy kids, Sparrow Clubs unique service learning model empowers youth to transform feelings of purposeless, detachment and anger, into confidence, solidarity and compassion. Sparrow Clubs help kids ‘find their wings’ and rise above their own difficulties by helping others.

Every child has a gift. Sparrow Clubs helps each one find it. We believe that kids can do heroic things…but they need heroic things to do. With rising violence, drug abuse, teenage pregnancy and despair among our nation’s youth, it is critically important that we provide them with meaningful experiences that give purpose, teach compassion, and instill character, dignity and a sense of community. Sparrow Clubs accomplishes this through service learning opportunities that let kids discover the hero and gifts that are within themselves, by helping local children in medical need.