This week began with a holiday to remember a champion of human connection. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. told us that he had, “A dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.” Dr. King truly wanted each of us to be recognized for ourselves.

At Shorecrest Preparatory School in St. Petersburg, Florida, the faculty and student body honored Dr. King by participating in the city’s annual parade. Shorecrest's acknowledgement of Dr. King's ideals isn’t something that only happens once a year. Events throughout our school year continually remind our students to practice building connections with the broader community. One of those events is Service Week in our Upper School, it is a week of outreach that teaches our high schoolers how to build connections across cultural boundaries.

Just over a year ago our Shorecrest community was preparing for the worst, as Hurricane Irma barrelled toward St. Petersburg. The stress, worry and difficult choices of evacuating and keeping loved ones safe made for a harrowing couple of weeks. We were lucky. The hurricane passed us by, and the damage was far less than anticipated.

This year our state was not so lucky. Schools in the panhandle and Gulf were deeply affected, when Hurricane Michael made landfall in October. Calls for help went out across the state and country, and the Shorecrest Community decided to take action. Through contacts made by our headmaster, Mr. Michael Murphy, we focused on the needs of Holy Nativity Episcopal School in Panama City, Florida. 

With another on the books, now is the perfect time for reflection. It’s easy to be so detail-driven that we miss the greater picture of what this week means. Service Week is heavily focused on our students, families and our community partners.

This week is a whirlwind of activity as we prepare for Service Week. Amongst the last minute preparations, I’ve been doing my best to keep a healthy perspective on what it is that we do as a school when we undertake a large scale project like Service Week, when I help place, mobilize and support 360+ people with much help from my colleagues and community partners.

Visit an independent school website at random and search for “service.” Odds are that you will encounter a wide range of service experiences, from encouraging service with no numerical requirement for graduation, to Service Days, sometimes around the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. holiday or the beginning of semesters, and perhaps other impactful service events that tend to be the exception rather than a rule.