As a way to honor the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the EA community had numerous opportunities to learn, reflect, and serve surrounding the MLK National Day of Service on Monday, Jan. 20.
During Lower School Chapel on Wednesday, Jan. 15, representatives from the Upper School Service Board taught students about the importance of service and the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. "One of the things I appreciate about [EA's] community service program is that we do not have a requirement," said Father Tim Gavin, Hon. "Students aren't required to do service; they're invited to do service, and they do it out of the goodness of their hearts without expecting anything in return. So when we do service in Upper School, Middle School, or Lower School, it's centered on the needs of the other person, not our needs."
With questions prompted by 5th grader Grace Finley, Upper Schoolers Yousuf Gilani '28 and Elizabeth Hershey '25 reflected on why service has been so important in their lives. "It's important to realize that service is not only the big things; it's also the little things," Yousuf said. "Whether it's donating old clothes or it's giving back and following the Stripes, all the little things and the big things are part of community service." Elizabeth explained that she serves others because "it's a pretty great feeling knowing that somewhere out there, there's a person that you made smile or you made their day better, just by giving them a little bit of time or [having] a conversation... something so simple and little can make someone's day, and I think that's the best feeling ever."
Following Chapel, Lower Schoolers took what they learned and put it into action by honoring the legacy of MLK with service. Students decorated boxes for those in need as part of a "Color Some Kindness" service project with Chester County Food Bank, made cards for EA helpers, and worked on a Lower School collaborative art project. "Some buddy classes worked together on the projects, and it's been nice to see the collaboration and the older students helping the younger students verbalize their dreams for the world," said Lower School Religion and Stripes Teacher Cathie Hicks.
Middle and Upper School students also reflected on the teachings of Dr. King and what it means to serve others. During a combined Middle/Upper School Chapel on Tuesday, Jan. 21, Executive Director of the Office of DEI Erica Snowden helped students understand the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. by using his life as a blueprint for our own lives. "Dr. King left behind a blueprint that continues to guide us," she said. "As I listened to his speech again, I was reminded that we all need a firm foundation to build upon... at school, we have the Stripes as a blueprint; at home, you have family values; in places of worship, there are religious values; and your personal life is shaped by the values that you choose."
During her Chapel Talk, she invited students to reflect on their personal values and how they can integrate three commitments from Dr. King's blueprint into their own, including (1) the commitment to dignity, (2) the determination to achieve excellence, and (3) a commitment to beauty, love, and justice. "It's imperative that love conquers hate," Ms. Snowden concluded. "In all your actions, make sure you are showing love. Don't let anyone pull you into hatred or negativity. Seek the good in the world and know that you can contribute to making it better, not just for yourself, but for everyone."
In the classroom, students in all divisions also reflected on the life and legacy of Dr. King's work. In 6th grade English, students even analyzed a portion of Martin Luther King's famous I Have a Dream speech as part of their 'Celebrating Strong Black Voices' unit of study. "After listening to an excerpt from the speech and annotating the work, we had a class discussion to make connections between Dr. King's speech and the other songs and poems we have read [in this unit]," said Middle School English Teacher Maggie McGill. "We also talked about Dr. King's legacy and how it relates to the greater issue of equality in America."
Additionally, the EAPA hosted its annual school-wide MLK Day of Service event on Thursday, Jan. 16, where members of the EA community came together in the Dixon Athletic Center to assemble 400 toiletry kits for Project HOME's Hub of Hope. "It's always amazing to see the entire school community come together and make a difference," said EAPA President Heather Bittenbender P '20 '23 '28.
For additional ways to celebrate "A Day On, Not a Day Off" and year-round service opportunities, view a curated list of service and cultural opportunities taking place in our region.