Making Connections Through Community Service

By Kacie Horton, Upper School Coordinator of Service Programs

The mission of the Community Service Leadership Council is to encourage the Kinkaid Upper School to give back to the community at large. The Council strives to connect students and faculty with different organizations and communities through a variety of service opportunities, focusing on projects that include face-to-face interaction. The Council leads and facilitates service activities that provide students with fun, rewarding experiences and that inspire students to be more involved in the community.

Upper School students have volunteered at a wide range of events that provide opportunities to engage with members of the community and learn by serving one another. Students have volunteered with organizations such as Combined Arms, Houston’s Asia Society, Urban Harvest, Plant it Forward, Compudopt, Special Olympics, Easter Seals of Greater Houston, SoleAna Stables, The Beacon, and Big Brothers Big Sisters. Students have spent time with elementary school students at movie nights, participated in the Afghan Family Festival, mentored refugees about wellness, cleaned MacGregor Park, and socialized with local shelter animals.

Teachers and students brought service to the classroom setting by mentoring Middle School debate students and traveling to Galveston Bay to learn about the local ecology and oyster reef program. Kinkaid provides more than 100 opportunities for service every year and students are encouraged to present their service ideas to the Council. Middle School students work on several service projects that help raise funds for Breast Cancer research and Pulsera, a service project sponsored by the Hispanic Heritage Appreciation Club which benefits Central American communities helping to fund education, build homes, and provide healthcare.

Lower School students at Kinkaid partner with local organizations including The Faris Foundation, Brighter Bites, and The Beacon to help bring much needed assistance to families in need. Our youngest students are out there in our community making a difference in people’s lives.