Seneca Valley students were given a great opportunity this past week to learn about the importance of teamwork and thinking about the world outside of their own community, all the while providing a service for those in need — in this case, wildlife suffering from the devastating Australian wildfires.

Starting earlier this year, Seneca Valley intermediate and high school students have hand-sewn, knitted and crocheted pouches and wraps for bats, parrots and baby marsupials that have been affected by the wildfires.

One student who’s a member of Seneca Valley’s Family, Career and Community Leaders of America chapter — one of the groups involved in the project — best summed up the initiative: “Always try to help. You always get something back from the universe.”

A 2010 study from the University of Pennsylvania’s Penn Libraries noted that programs that involve volunteering and service learning — which refers to initiatives that combine learning objectives with efforts to benefit others, such as community service — are highly beneficial for students because they encourage civic behavior.

The study noted that volunteering is occasionally viewed in a negative light by some younger students, who see it as time consuming and “boring.” But ultimately, most students who volunteer end up realizing the benefits, whether it’s helping those in need, having something to add to a resume to impress future employers or making new friends.

In the case of Seneca Valley’s program, participating students are able to take part in activities that also teach patience, problem solving and teamwork. Another incentive is that it’s fun.

We think the student project to help Australia’s displaced and injured animals is a wonderful initiative. It’s a great means of getting students to join members of their own community to do something good for a community far away from where they live. In the process, they learn to think about the world outside of their hometown.

And as a family and consumer science teacher for Seneca Valley pointed out, the completion of the project will instill “pride” in the students, and teach them about giving something without the expectation of getting anything in return.

We hope Seneca Valley’s initiative inspires other county school districts to come up with volunteer projects for students that get them thinking about giving back, whether it’s in their own community or somewhere on the other side of the world.