This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated.

NORTH KANSAS CITY, Mo. — They rolled out their dough and used cookie cutters to bake their creations Friday.

But these second-graders at Winwood School in North Kansas City weren’t making cookies. Instead, they were making dog treats for shelter animals.

Teacher Rachel Gates said this project has kind of been in the works since September. In social studies, her students started learning about being a good community member, giving back and being a citizen.

“We started coming up with ideas of what we could do, even as 7- and 8-year-olds, to give back to our community,” Gates said.

The kids came up with several great ideas, but ultimately settled on one: baking dog treats for furry friends in need.

Gates said the kids have really done all the work from start to finish.

“They decided on a recipe. They collected all of the ingredients for the recipe. They got monetary donations. They wrote thank you cards,” she said.

And on Friday, they baked! The second-graders made their dog treat dough and cut them out in various shapes and sizes. They were proud to show off their creations before lining them out on cookie sheets. Finally, Gates helped secure them in the oven.

“I hope they take away the understanding that it doesn’t matter how old you are, that you can make a difference,” the Northland teacher said.