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Spotlight on . . .Service Learning
SRV and Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
by Robin Lasersohn, Service Learning Coordinator
On Monday, January 17th, Mike, Robin, and Mari Ann led a trip to The
National Liberty Museum for a dozen SRV and Chester East Side Ministries
(CESM) after school program students. After community dialogue on how best
to mark the holiday, we decided that our time would be well spent deepening
our existing partnership with Chester East Side Ministries, which revolves
around woodworking. By creating a longer and more open-ended group
experience, we created stronger personal connections and a growing sense of
shared community among the children. Playing games, taking the train, and
eating together all helped to break down barriers and facilitate communication
between the two groups of kids. Further, The National Liberty Museum tour
reinforced important values around celebrating diversity, committing to
nonviolence, safeguarding democracy, and struggling for freedom and equality.
It was a terrific day – fun, educational, and a true honoring of King's message.
Since only children who had participated in the woodworking partnership were
able to join us on the trip, SRV families were invited to join in other community
activities on King Day. Report-backs from these experiences have been very
positive as well! Jane remarked that a great conversation took place in her
group about protest and civil disobedience after one student shared his family's
experience at the Make War No More event in King of Prussia. Debby Rosan
expressed that she and Lior had an outstanding experience combining education
and service at the Johnson House, as part of the Philadelphia Martin Luther King
Weekend of Service. The Johnson House is an historic home in Germantown that
is an authenticated site on the Underground Railroad. She highly recommended
this community resource to SRV families.
Thank you to everyone who participated in conversations and activities marking the King Holiday this year.
Past "Spotlight On..." articles
