Private-independent school students inspired their communities during the spring session by giving back to the neighborhoods where they lived. From Ohio to North Carolina, students took the initiative to feed the hungry and celebrate the accomplishments of those others may have ignored—and we’d like to take a moment to celebrate their unsung actions.
Feeding the Hungry
Four students from Pike Christian Academy in Waverley, Ohio, took time out from their studies to make and distribute sandwiches for a food bank that wasn’t even in their neighborhood. The National Honors Society members—along with their adviser—used personal funds to buy and make the food they gave away to complete strangers, according to the Chillico Gazette’s Chris Balusik.
The food bank wasn’t one that served the school’s community, as the student’s adviser Gayle Kramer told Balusik, “A lot of our projects have been right around the school, so we’re trying to reach out into the community a little bit more.”
Kramer went on to say that everyone at Pike Christian Academy was working as a whole school to better serve the community in a “Serve-a-thon” event, explaining, “For us, especially as a private school, [we’re trying] to say we want to come out and be part of the community and not just asking for things.”
Celebrating Accomplishments
Meanwhile, the local Special Olympics celebrated its 30th anniversary of competing at Durham Academy (DA) in Durham, North Carolina. Lauren Horsch reported on the event for The Herald Sun, noting that the entire upper school closes to allow students and faculty to help run the event.
The Dean of Students Lanis Wilson told Horsch that approximately 150 DA students partner with athletes—disabled students from the local public school system—to help them navigate the events and be a friend during the festivities.
The experience is beneficial for more than just the athletes. One sophomore told Horsch that his work as a buddy was “a lot of fun,” adding, “It is humbling to know that not everyone has what we have.”
For DA and its Dean of Students, the Special Olympics is “a chance to be better connected to the community,” as Wilson told Horsch. “It’s a chance for all these schools in the Durham Public system to visit our campus and it makes us part of the bigger community.”
Additional ISM resources:
ISM Monthly Update for Risk Manager Vol. 3 No. 6 Trip and Volunteer Protocols
Private School News Vol. 13 No. 11 "And to All, a Good Night"—Community Efforts by Independent Schools During the Holidays
Additional ISM resources for Gold Consortium members:
I&P Vol. 35 No. 2 When Is a Volunteer Not a Volunteer
I&P Vol. 28 No. 7 Scheduling a Community Service Program
I&P Vol. 38 No. 5 Community Service and Service Learning: Designing a Successful Program
