BELONGING IN SERVICE-LEARNING
“ Marianne had students tap into their knowledge of a previous unit on nutrition and health and compare the nutritional values of fresh foods to shelf-stable varieties ... Her students made educational videos and posters to help fellow Torreys make educated nutritional choices for the food drive .”
tional values of fresh foods to shelf-stable varieties , as well as the nutritional values in some of the more popular items we received in 2019 such as ramen noodles , white rice , and fruit snacks . Her students made educational videos and posters to help fellow Torreys make educated nutritional choices for the food drive . ( Check them out on Instagram at @ torreysgiveback !) We were able to see almost immediate results in the 2019-2020 school year when the most popular item went from ramen noodles to canned green beans . The students , of course , didn ’ t stop there . In the 2021-22 edition of the “ Food for Thought ” project , students wanted to come up with a better way of competing rather than just number of items , and designed a point system based on the nutritional value of each item . While this created a bit more work for the students on the service board responsible for counting all of the items , it shifted the mindset of our community entirely ! This year , I am proud to say that the most popular items were canned chicken , oatmeal , and lowsodium canned black beans .
These are but a few examples of our school community buying into learning through service , and I am so privileged to work with such incredible educators and creative , enthusiastic students . I truly believe that service-learning in independent schools is one of the most accessible ways to engage community members in DEIB work . I am always happy to hear from others and to share ideas . •
Hadley Zeavin ( she / her / hers ) is the Director of Service-Learning and Experiential Education at La Jolla Country Day School in La Jolla , CA . Hadley works in all divisions and is also the co-advisor for the Torrey Equestrian Team and co-advisor for the school ’ s Spectrum Club ( GSA ). Hadley loves to read , crochet , and spend time with her two dogs , two guinea pigs , and three horses . You can email her at hzeavin @ ljcds . org and follow LJCDS Service Learning at @ torreysgiveback on Instagram .
CSEE Connections Summer 2022 Page 11