By Isaac Guttman, ’10, News Editor
New Dean of Service Learning Deborah Floyd said she hopes that the attitude towards community service at CCDS evolves from an “hours logged mindset to a habit of mind.” In the past, the administration has pointed to the service graduation requirement, which requires each student to log at least 90 hours of community service over four years, to demonstrate CCDS’s commitment to service.
While the requirement does represent a significant amount of service to others, it doesn’t necessarily ensure that each student is really invested or passionate about community service. “Originally when [Head of Upper School Stephanie] Luebbers asked me to take over, I said I would only do it if there was a significant shift in the way we operate,” said Ms. Floyd. As a part of this shift, the administration has created the new post of Dean of Service Learning. Though the Dean of Service Learning’s responsibilities are virtually identical to those of past heads of community service, Ms. Floyd hopes that her role will be “less administrative and about number crunching, and more about trying to inspire others to find and pursue their passion.” Through a partnership with UGIVE, a non-profit organization that connects students to volunteer opportunities, Ms. Floyd is confident that the community can achieve that goal.
Another facet of this shift is the formation of the Tribal Philanthropic Board (TPB). The TPB is a student-run board of service, with representatives from all four grades and both genders, with three primary goals: award $1,000 to a local non-profit, research opportunities to loan and subsequently loan money through a micro-enterprise, and review and allocate “service seed-money” to Upper School students who apply.
Juniors Lilly Fleischmann and Emily Grupp, both members of the TPB, are examples of the reinvigorated community service program at CCDS. After attending the Mayerson High School Service-Learning Conference at the University of Cincinnati, Fleischmann and Grupp founded a CCDS chapter of United for UNIFAT (U4U), an organization that raises money for education in Africa. Fleischmann was convinced by the U4U video shown at the conference. “All I could think about was what I could do to make things better for these kids,” said Fleischmann. Already this school year, U4U has raised upwards of $500 by conducting Penny Wars and selling t-shirts.
To measure the success of this new approach to community service, Ms. Floyd will not only be looking for an influx in hours logged but also for CCDS students to assume leadership roles in philanthropic organizations. Ms. Floyd said there has been a very positive response from the students. “I have students come by every bell and say ‘I have an idea,’” reports Ms. Floyd. “Country Day students are answering the call, it’s much more about the service than the hours and that’s amazing.”
Photo by Ilana Habib.