Community Service Teaches St. George’s Students About “Giving Back”

Attending St. George’s School of Montreal is an educational privilege for boys and girls, Kindergarten to Grade 11. But such a life-building advantage comes with obligations; namely giving back to the community that these students come from – not just for today, but during their entire lives. This is why St. George’s takes community service extremely seriously, and goes to great lengths to give its student hands-on experience in giving back.

In fact, St. George’s offers community service-oriented education in both its elementary and secondary schools; located at 3100 and 3685 The Boulevard in Westmount. “In our elementary school, we focus on encouraging our younger students to be aware not just of others who are less fortunate, but about the concrete actions we can take to help them; including sacrificing of ourselves,” says Judy Berger, a St. George’s teacher and coordinator of the Grade 6 community service program. “For instance, to raise money for Haiti, through our association with ACF (Action Contre Faim - Action Against Hunger) students from Kindergarten to Grade 6 donated their allowance or money that they would have otherwise spent on themselves.”

That’s not all: Grade 6 students take part in a three day leadership camp off campus to discover their personal leadership talents. They then return to school to develop community service ideas to personally execute.

Arianna Galbraith and classmate Jessica Mintzberg decided to give back by volunteering at the Westmount One seniors’ residence. While there, “we played balloon tennis, video game bowling, cards and Bingo with the residents,” Arianna says. “We also just sat and talked.”

Not only did the experience brighten the seniors’ days, but it taught her valuable lessons about living. “I learned that you should never take your life and your mobility for granted,” Arianna says. “I also learned that no matter what age someone may be, everyone should be treated respectfully and fairly.”

In the secondary school years, St. George’s students take community service to the next level. “We put together small groups of self-selected students with adults, to create ‘pods’,” says Megan Webster, St. George’s Community Learning Coordinator. “Each pod works together to come up with community service projects that make a difference. The students also get to know, understand and participate with adults who are not their parents or teachers.”

At this level, the students are expected to meet three goals in performing community service. “The first goal is performing physical labour, such as cleaning out the cages at the SPCA and baking pet treats,” Webster says. “The second goal is education, such as learning about puppy mills and the mistreatment of animals in society. And the third goal is advocacy, where our students work as agents of change. In the case of the SPCA, this means lobbying against animal abuse before their fellow students during an assembly, and gathering signatures on an anti-puppy mill petition on the SPCA’s behalf.”

Does this process make St. George’s students more socially conscious and responsible? According to research conducted by the school, the answer is yes. “Based on a survey we did of Grade 10 students, doing community service makes students aware of others’ needs and provides the tools for helping students respond meaningfully to those needs,” Webster says. “It also inspires students, who often feel disempowered in our society. Teenagers are very motivated to help others, to make a difference in their world. They are very motivated to learn, to help, and to relate to others. Service provides the means for actualizing their goals. It helps them grow into full citizens."

“Giving back to the community is a key part of any child’s education,” says St. George’s Head of School James Officer. “That’s why we put a lot of time and effort into helping our students to realize and nurture their social consciences.”

(James Careless, May 2010).