Service to Others

Middle Schoolers connected with Daily Planet Health Services to address the impact of homelessness. In a virtual chat with CEO Anita Bennett during community time, students discussed how homelessness can look different from the way it's commonly portrayed in the media, as well as what Spartans can do to help. The talk culminated in students bringing in items like bandages, toothbrushes, snacks, and clothing to fill supply bags that were then distributed to the region's homeless population.

"It was really exciting to make these bags because I knew I would be helping someone in need," Claire Dougherty '27 said. "Unfortunately, homeless people often don't have access to basic necessities, and I'm very happy that we could put together this project to help brighten somebody's day."

To cut down on plastic waste associated with single-use coffee pods, seventh-grade students in Middle School science teacher Betsy Orgain's and Middle School social studies teacher Wallace Inge's community service classes teamed up with the K-Cycle™ program to ensure our campus' Keurig coffee containers are being recycled instead of thrown away. Students placed special boxes near Keurig coffee makers across campus prompting people to throw pods into them instead of the trash. When the boxes are full, students ship the boxes back for the plastics to be recycled and the coffee grounds to be composted.

"This is a great way for us to offset some of our environmental impact by keeping materials in a closed loop system," Mr. Lowery said.

Upper School has also been looking to the local community with a service-learning mindset. In Upper School English teacher Jessica Conley's tenth-grade research writing seminar, students collaborated with the Enrichmond Foundation, a local nonprofit whose goal is "to serve the people, parks, and public space of the City of Richmond," to contribute to the betterment of historic Evergreen Cemetery. Mrs. Conley's sophomores researched organizations and topics related to those buried in Evergreen and synthesized the research they found to help build the historical record and honor the people interred at Evergreen.

Upper School world languages teacher Amy Cooper's AP Spanish class leveraged their Spanish-speaking skills into a service project benefitting the Chesterfield Food Bank. Under their pilot program, small groups of 2-4 students plan to take turns assisting the food bank's Spanish-speaking clients on-site during school hours. The partnership allows Steward's students to practice their Spanish communication prowess in a real-world application that also gives back to the community at large.

It has already been an inspiring year of service learning across all three divisions. While this is just a small snapshot of the service learning experiences happening around campus, we expect many more exciting projects to come in the future!