This spring, every Middle School student had the opportunity to live the Stripes during their grade-level Day of Service. At locations including St. Barnabas Resource Center, FABSCRAP, The Mitzvah Circle, Riverbend Environmental Center, Thorncroft Therapeutic Riding, Willistown Conservation Trust, Dunwoody, Schuylkill Environmental Center, Friends of the Wissahickon, St. David's Church, Lutheran Settlement House, G.W. Childs School, Cradles to Crayons, Willard Elementary School, and Providence Animal Center, students engaged in various service activities ranging from site cleanup, to sorting and organizing, to interacting in meaningful ways with the students or clientele of these community partners.
However, to turn action into reflection, this year, the Middle School community focused not just on what happened during the Day of Service, but on what service means. Led by Middle School Chaplain Rev. Michael Palmisano (Rev. P), Community Service Coordinator Becky Brinks, and the Office of DEI, students engaged in a structured reflection exercise following their service activities. Watch EA Community Service in action.
After Rev. P. framed the day for students in the context of EA's long tradition of service, students were asked to reflect on "what service means, which community they served, and how the experiences at different sites compared with each other," said Middle School Drama Teacher and Diversity Coordinator Gina Tomkowich, Hon. Through the use of questions such as 'What did you think the experience of working with this community was going to be like?' and 'What is one thing that you learned during your visit?' students dug deep to understand where they had been active and helpful, and where they may have missed an opportunity.
"For this spring Day of Service, students reflected on their experience together as an advisory, coming up with one word or phrase that synthesized their experience," Ms. Tomkowich said. "Words like 'dignity,' 'caring,' and 'collaboration' were used often."
Next, students engaged in a service "story exchange" with someone outside of their advisory who had worked with a different community partner. Finally, through active listening and perspective taking, they retold their partner's story to a small group, and listened while their story was told. "As a small group, they were asked to then come up with another word or phrase that encompassed each of the stories," Ms. Tomkowich explained.
Beyond building active listening skills, reflecting on experiences and actions, and sharing in each other's experiences, the activity also helped Middle Schoolers recognize and acknowledge their own gifts and shortcomings as well as build empathy for the communities they served and for each other.
"In addition to focusing on the importance of service, students were able to practice important interpersonal skills that are the bedrock of our Middle School community," said Head of Middle School Laurie Piette.