Over the summer session, our 8th grade students began a very special project that explored the value of service. Through a grant provided by the Nativity Miguel Network, our 8th graders planned and implemented a two fold Service Learning Project. The first piece of the project was an in-house sports camp that we offered free of charge to 3rd through 5th graders in our local community. These camps lasted an hour a day for each of the three weeks of our summer program. The first week we offered a boys basketball camp. The second week we offered a girl’s basketball camp, and lastly we offered a baseball camp. These camps were planned and implemented by our 8th grade students, with help from Mr. Barnes our Athletic Director. The students stayed after school everyday and gave their time to plan each day’s activities, as well as run the camps. They were a great success, and we are very pleased to have been able to offer this service to our community.

The second piece of our Service Learning Project involved off campus volunteering. A group of our 8th graders spent the three weeks of summer camp, and an additional week of their summer vacation, traveling to Pinellas Village to volunteer with their R’ Club. The students developed a Health and Fitness curriculum that they have been teaching the kids in the hours that we spent with them twice a week. The Academy Prep students decided that with childhood obesity becoming such an epidemic in the United States, that they should focus on raising awareness to kids about why it’s important to be active and make good food choices. They did this by discussing the food pyramid, different ways to be active, how to stay safe while you are active, and the many health benefits of being active. They also incorporated games and activities into their curriculum, to keep things fun and exciting. They made fruit kabobs, and played “Fitness Go Fish”. Everyone enjoyed their time at the R’ Club, and we are thankful for the opportunity we had there.

Along with working at the R Club, our 8th graders prepared and served meals to 50 people at the Ronald McDonald house of St. Petersburg. After researching different agencies in the community, the students decided they wanted to help the people at the Ronald McDonald house by providing them with a delicious, healthy meal, to try and take their minds off their sick family members. This aspect of the Service Learning Project has been a huge success as well. Our students really enjoyed the hands-on learning, and the knowledge that they were making a difference in someone else’s life. While serving at the Ronald McDonald house, they heard heart wrenching stories from the families about the health problems their children were facing. This really hit home with the students, and sparked some very self reflective discussions among our group. We are very proud of the way our 8th graders have shown maturity and leadership, as well as personal growth, by giving back to the community, and plan to continue to incorporate service learning in our curriculum this fall.