MRH Middle Partners With City, Organizations in Service Project

Using the middle school cornerstones of leadership, scholarship, citizenship and stewardship as the foundation for the learning, the 150 students of took on a day-long service project throughout the community. The project which coincided with National Volunteer Week gave students an opportunity to give back to their community through cleanup and beautification.

"This project was designed as a leadership opportunity for the principals' advisory council. There are 10 of us that have worked to make this project a reality," said Zach Russell, one of the group leaders.

The day was a true partnership for the middle school as students worked with a veterans' service organization known as The Mission Continues. The Mission Continues has been working with the school since February to build a new set of mental models for the students about who veterans are, how they contribute, and the value of service to the community.

"Working with Maplewood Richmond Heights Middle School has been an excellent opportunity for The Mission Continues. We feel that it is essential to create ties between our schools and our veterans who bring great capacity to lead and serve back into their community following their service to their country," said Erin Walker, volunteer coordinator for the organization.

Students were involved with three projects. The first was the cleanup of Deer Creek in Maplewood, where students removed more than 700 pounds of trash and debris. The second project was the beautification of the , where students placed mulch between all of the raised-bed garden. The final project was the removal of overgrowth in that was consuming the fence that protects the storm sewer.

"I was really impressed by my team," eighth-grader Chrys Kluttz said. "We really came together and worked hard."

In addition to the students, who put nearly 350 hours of service into the day, there were other partners at the table. High school students from a nearby high school joined as part of their community service hours as well as a number of retired veterans and members of veterans' families.

"This was an opportunity for our students to continue to see that they can make an impact in the community. Our hope is that some of the students will continue this desire to serve their community and promote a clean and beautiful community," said Dr. Robert Dillon, principal of the middle school.

Another partner for the day was the City of Maplewood, who helped to supply equipment and items needed at each site.

"The students from MRHMS were tremendous. They worked so hard during the project, and we were glad they could help us," said Mary Henderson, event specialist with the city's parks department.

Finally, the project served as one of the first student-led service projects for The Big Return Saint Louis, an organization that helps students, youth and schools develop, fund and implement service projects in their community. The group was inspired by the work of randomkid.org.

"It was amazing to see community members, veterans, students, teachers and others working side-by-side to better our community. National Volunteer Week is an amazing opportunity for kids to grow and learn," Dillon said.

Story submitted by Dr. Robert Dillon, principal of Maplewood Richmond Heights Middle School.