There’s a new social studies course being offered at Holliston High School for the first time this fall – Service Learning: A Call to Action. Last week I had the pleasure of spending an hour or so interviewing three HHS juniors in the Service Learning class: Kyra Reinstein, who reached out to The Reporter initially, her group project mates, Sophia LoRicco and Natalie Frey, and their teacher, Kaitlin Mills.

The students identified factors about the new course that brought them to register for it, including the opportunity to help others, community involvement, and meeting new people and making new community contacts. Ms. Mills explained that first the 17 students in the class were asked to individually interview members of the community (e.g. family members and neighbors) to help identify societal needs and issues. Then they brought their results to class where they shared them, brainstormed, and explored those they felt most passionate about. This process resulted in nine projects being undertaken, some by individual students, others by two students and some by small groups of three or four. The group that contacted me had chosen veterans’ issues.

Next, the students researched their chosen issues. The students I interviewed looked at various components of active military and veterans’ needs. Sending care packages, which are always welcome, to active military overseas was rejected because it was too expensive. They decided to focus on veterans’ homelessness, which turned out to be more extensive – and complex (shelter, physical and mental health, substance use and legal matters among other compounding issues) – than they had originally thought. Another course requirement was to create a community partnership, which they did with Veterans Inc. located in Worcester. They named their project Love 4 Vets.

The students began asking for contributions around Veterans Day. First, they sent information and notices to Holliston Public Schools faculty and staff asking for donations. Then they made presentations at the schools at the beginning of the professional development day for teachers held in early November. Among other things, they collected socks, bottled water and canned goods, as well as approximately $300.00 in cash that they used–combined with various store and other discounts–to buy blankets, gloves, sweaters and other items that could be used by both women and men. They advertised their efforts on social media and established a GOFUNDME account with a goal of raising $1,000 that they have already surpassed.

To learn more about the new course, please visit:  https://sites.google.com/holliston.k12.ma.us/service-learning-at-hhs/home?authuser=1, where you also will find tabs for each of the nine projects. The three students I interviewed hope to extend their initiative beyond the current semester when the course itself will end. They expect to invite elementary school students to write notes to homeless veterans that will be delivered through Veterans Inc. They noted a big part of being a homeless veteran is being alone, a situation that can be especially difficult during the holiday season.