With the 2023-24 school year in full swing, the Service Learning program at The Storm King School isn’t far behind.  According to the program’s faculty coordinators Mark Rigg and Lisa Shrem, our students will have a myriad of meaningful opportunities to engage with the local community once again this year. From working with kids at the Newburgh Armory Unity Center (NAUC) and Beautiful People Adaptive Sports to maintaining trails in nearby Black Rock Forest and helping out at a local food bank, service learning is off to a great start with much more in store.

“This year, we are promoting a student-led approach to service,” explained Mrs. Shrem. “We have several community service leaders who, in past years, have gone above and beyond in terms of hours served and dedication to one or more organization. We will encourage these student-leaders to help organize and run activities and coach our newer students to get up to speed. ”

Senior Jasper L. ’24, a community service leader for Beautiful People, has taken on the responsibility of helping to recruit new students for the activity. Jasper, who has volunteered more than 20 times at Beautiful People, is also looking forward to helping new volunteers get the most out of the program. Jasper’s advice: “I recommend following the ‘3 Ps’ while working with the kids at BP. Positivity: give the kids your positive energy; Patience: take time to communicate with them and help them understand you; Passion: show them some love and, also, have fun yourself!”

Fall programs at Beautiful People, the Newburgh Armory, and a local soup kitchen are already seeing a lot of student interest and many have already committed to these activities through the month of September. “There will be more exciting opportunities to come as the semester progresses, including removing invasive species from the grounds at the Hudson Highlands Nature Museum and our neighbor Black Rock Forest.  We also have some exciting events coming up, including Motivate Physical Therapy’s 5K walk/run, helping out at the Cornwall Fall Festival, and the Hudson Valley SPCA’s Adopt Don’t Shop event,” continued Dr. Rigg.

“Participating in community service projects are great chances for students to gain valuable experiences, develop transferable skills, and serve others.  Our aim once again this year is to maximize their engagement and offer something for everyone, so completing the required 20 hours of service won’t be a difficult task,” explained Dr. Rigg and Mrs. Shrem.