Indiana Blood Center
Help a Hoosier Service Learning Information

Indiana Blood Center and the Indianapolis Colts are working together to create positive goodwill
among Hoosiers.  Help a Hoosier campaign was initiated to strengthen our statewide community and
empower Hoosiers both young and old to reach out to their neighbors to provide support. The initiative is intended to inspire you to give freely of yourself for the goodwill of others.  

 Indiana Blood Center is a vital link in Indiana's health care infrastructure, supplying more than 550 units of blood to more than 60 Indiana hospitals every day. The nonprofit community service organization was founded in 1952 to provide a continuous, safe and adequate supply of blood products and testing services first to the people in our own communities, then wherever our blood products and testing services are needed.

Elementary and middle school students can learn about the importance of blood donation, what a blood center’s role in their community is and how transfusions work.  While too young to donate blood, elementary and middle school students can share the information they learn and encourage those who are eligible to participate in a community blood drive held at the school.

Learning Resources:

As part of the Help a Hoosier Service Learning Project, Indiana Blood Center is offering many different resources free of charge for your school to take part in learning more about this vital community program. 

• A visit to Indiana Blood Center’s main collection and testing facility in Indianapolis.
• A visit to your school by Indiana Blood Center Medical Director, Dr. Dan Waxman, to share a presentation geared to students about blood and blood donation.
• Web access to My Blood, Your Blood, an award-winning science education program that teaches about the amazing journey of blood in our bodies.   The program was designed by a team of physicians and educators as a low-prep time, turnkey package.   Through sophisticated animation and microscopy, the My Blood, Your Blood program captures the imagination of students of all ages and helps foster an interest in science. The program also emphasizes the value of community service through blood donation and the importance of a healthy lifestyle.

Reflection and Action:  Community Blood Drive
Each student will be provided with a take home packet by Indiana Blood Center.  The packet includes a letter to parents and two “commit to donate” cards that can be filled out by adults willing to donate at the community blood drive held at the school.  Each person that visits the blood drive will receive a special Colts Help a Hoosier T-shirt.
By sharing what they’ve learned about the importance of blood donation, students will gain commitments for blood drive.  An Indiana Blood Center representative will help to coordinate all aspects of the blood drive either through school administration or through PTO.  Those who donate at the drive will have been educated and encouraged by the students themselves.  This is a great opportunity for our youth to gain valuable education in the health and science field while performing a vital community service.
Students can create posters to hang in public places reminding people about the blood drive, and also create thank-you cards to be given to donors following their life-saving donation.  Older students can create videos and interview donors for possible feature stories in school newspapers and online media outlets.

Program Evaluation and Expansion
As students learn more about blood donation, myths and fears will be lessened in anticipation for when they become eligible to donate.  As learning is an on-going life process, so is giving blood on a regular basis.  Donors are eligible to donate blood every 56 days.  Blood is in constant need as it only has a shelf life of approximately 42 days.  Students learn that the need for blood is ongoing and that a standing blood drive for the community is important, not a one-time event.  As a community center, schools are asked to support an annual fall and spring blood drive at the school.

Celebration and Public Recognition
Each student who invites an adult to come to donate will be recognized with a Help a Hoosier Certificate signed by the CEO of Indiana Blood Center, Byron Buhner, and a senior administrative member of the Indianapolis Colts.   Any student that is responsible for two or more donors will also receive a special gift item from the Colts. 

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