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Iowa High School Gives Students PE Credits For Helping The Elderly With Yard Work

June 11, 2019

A high school in Iowa is allowing students to earn physical education credits by helping the elderly.

Credit: KWWL

While most students across the country earn PE credits with extracurricular activities like athletics and marching band, the Alternative Learning Center in Dubuque, Iowa, is giving students the option to do yard work for people unable to do the physical labor on their own.

"Could be raking leaves, pulling weeds, cutting grass, cleaning gutters, just depends on what they need," teacher Tim Hitzler told KWWL.

Hitzler says he wanted to add the yard work as an option for the students to receive credit because it is not only a way for the school to help out the community, but it is beneficial to the students as well.

"The students aren't typically too excited at the beginning but once they get involved and start doing the yard work they become more motivated," he said. "What they really like is A: helping people. They really like giving back to people and meeting the person."