Grade 10 students participated in a Service-Learning and Community Engagement Day, stepping out of the classroom to collaborate with local organizations and address real-world challenges.
The day emphasized the school’s core values of honesty, service, courage, and respect, encouraging students to engage directly with community members. Volunteers generously shared their time and expertise, providing students with a chance to contribute meaningfully.
Designed to foster personal and leadership growth, the program invited students to envision their roles as future leaders in their school, local community, and beyond.
The day began with students rotating through three distinct sessions: Environmental Stewardship, Standard of Living, and Health and Wellness. Each session provided hands-on experiences and reinforced the importance of service.
Environmental Stewardship
Students had a hands-on opportunity to support environmental sustainability by partnering with the Compost Education Centre, engaging in a range of tasks including raking, bagging yard waste, weeding, winterizing, and planting garlic in community gardens. They also prepared soil for future planting, emphasizing the importance of sustainable practices.
A key takeaway from the session was the introduction to green cones—innovative tools used for food waste disposal. These cones don’t produce finished compost but instead rely on natural microbes to break down organic waste. Designed to be buried in soil, green cones serve as containers for kitchen scraps like fruits, vegetables, bones, meat, and even cooked food. The process uses the microbes inside the cone to liquefy the waste, which then nourishes the surrounding soil.
Students gained a deeper understanding of how microbes and soil ecosystems work together to support long-term sustainability. This lesson highlighted the powerful connection between waste management and gardening, offering students valuable insight into how sustainable practices can help cultivate productive environments for future growth.
Standard of Living
Students participated in a meaningful Standard of Living session with the Extreme Outreach Society (EOS). EOS is a local non-profit organization dedicated to breaking the cycle of poverty, addiction, and homelessness through free programs and services for disadvantaged children, youth, and families. Their mission is to transform communities one life at a time, emphasizing love, acceptance, and the removal of stigma around those in need.
Founder Cliff Power introduced the students to the Warm-A-Soul Campaign, which provides stockings filled with essentials, gifts, and treats to individuals facing hardship. The campaign aims to distribute 2,500 stockings this year, and students took on the challenge of assembling the stockings in an assembly-line fashion. From unwrapping packaging to carefully placing items inside, the students worked collaboratively to ensure each stocking was neatly organized and ready to bring joy.
Health and Wellness
The Health and Wellness session incorporated acts of service for Soap for Hope Canada, a charity that repurposes hygiene products and linens to reduce landfill waste while providing essential items to vulnerable populations. This organization, established just nine years ago in 2015, has grown rapidly from serving five facilities to over 500 across British Columbia.
Students learned how Soap for Hope collects surplus products from the hospitality industry, which would typically be discarded, and transforms them into useful hygiene products for those in need.
Students took on tasks such as sorting, cleaning, and packaging items for redistribution. This session highlighted the intersection of environmental and social responsibility. Students were encouraged to work carefully and thoughtfully, understanding that the dignity of the people receiving the products was paramount. The goal was not to rush but to ensure each item was prepared with care, showing respect for the recipients. Soap for Hope's efforts have saved nearly a million pounds of product from going to the landfill, demonstrating a significant reduction in the environmental impact.
A Message of Inspiration
The Service-Learning and Community Engagement Day concluded with a powerful message from keynote speaker Anne McIntyre, Founder & Executive Director of Soap for Hope Canada. Anne shared her personal service journey, reflecting on her path to founding Soap for Hope. She emphasized that pursuing a meaningful cause often involves obstacles, but overcoming them is part of the transformative process.
This day was more than just an educational experience for the students; it was a call to action, challenging them to envision their role as future leaders and change-makers. From their hands-on work to thoughtful reflections, the Grade 10 cohort embraced the chance to make a difference.
