It's not a regular school day for these 7th and 8th graders at Windemere Park Charter Academy.

Cameras are rolling in their classroom.

That's because what they're doing is the focus of an upcoming NBC Nightly News "Making a Difference" report.

"We were very excited," says Marilyn Milligan, a teacher at Windemere Park Charter Academy, of when she found out NBC Nightly News would be featuring the class she teaches with Gerolyn Freeze.

"I came and told Mrs. Freeze after the students were gone, and she was writing on her board getting ready for the next day, and she just kept writing as I was talking. As soon as I said, 'NBC Nightly News,' she turned around really fast and was like, 'What?'"

Milligan and Freeze teach the school's new "Making a Difference" class, where students get involved with helping people in the community, from making quilts for the homeless to helping at area food banks.

The network crew spent two days with the class to take a closer look.

"The whole 'Making a Difference' franchise on Nightly News is all about celebrating people reaching out, giving back to the community, doing what they can for people in need," says NBC News Correspondent John Yang. "To have a class that's sort of teaching that, not sort of-- is teaching that in the curriculum, is a great thing."

The kids think it's pretty cool, but say it's not exactly what they expected.

"I just thought they were going to come film a few scenes, and then leave and that'd be it," says Kara Shattuck, an eighth grader in the class. "They've been basically that, but they've also interacted with us and it's been a lot of fun."

More importantly, students hope their story will reach kids nationwide.

"I think it could cause more students to think, 'I can really make a difference in my community, I just have to find a way,'" Shattuck says.

The NBC Nightly News "Making a Difference" report featuring Windemere Park Charter Academy will air next week.