Our Students Do Make a Difference in Our Community (and beyond…)

When most of us think back to our early years in school, we may remember sports, clubs, tests, friends, dances or a favorite teacher. How many of us remember community service projects? 

Now, there may be a few of you out there who were heavily involved in volunteerism, but when I attended school (and remember I’m a graduate of D.C. Everest) most students simply weren’t as involved in the community as they are today. 

There is great value in community service as it teaches students the value of being a responsible citizen. As Martin Luther King, Jr. noted, “Intelligence is not enough. Intelligence plus character, that is the goal of true education.” The five themes* we focus on are:

1. Honesty — Tell the truth.
2. Compassion — Be caring.
3. Respect — Respect others and yourself.
4. Responsibility — Be responsible for what you say and do.
5. Courage — Be brave enough to do the right thing and to ask for help when you need it.

One of the most frequent comments I hear from parents is, “I can’t believe how involved our students are with the community.” On the flip side, I also hear “I can’t believe how lucky we are to have such great community support.” It works both ways — and it’s a win-win situation for everyone. The level of engagement between our students, the community and local businesses and organizations is the result of years of hard work. We have sought to engage with the community as much as the community has sought to engage with us. Not every district is that fortunate. Learn more about DCE and community service.

See all of Dr. Gilmore's Blog Posts as she travels within our District and without, sharing her perspective — and that of others — about what makes our District unique and how we lead the way in athletics, the arts, community service, education and technology. You can also Follow Dr. Gilmore on Twitter.