With the goal of getting more M-A students involved in volunteer efforts, the Service Learning Center (SLC) debuted at Menlo-Atherton High School last week.
“We want to make service available to any student of any background,” explained Christiana Kalotihos (pictured), a junior who’s been involved in getting the center launched. “A student who’s interest in starting some initiative can get resources and assistance through the center. We define service as any act that gives back to the community.”
Another goal, she said was to “unite and bring together the many service clubs at M-A.”
The objectives of the SLC are:
- Social Justice: Identify, recognize and analyze the social structures that underpin injustice in our society and understand the relative privilege or marginalization of your own or other groups.
- Civic Engagement: Recognize the importance of agency and life-long responsible citizenship in personal and professional activities in ways that benefit underserved populations.
- Celebrate Diversity: Embody our motto of “strength in diversity” by looking beyond your own perspective and understand the way others see the world. Appreciate the knowledge, wisdom, assets and skills that individuals in these communities possess.
Christiana underscored the importance of a physical location. “We wanted to create something that was more than a classroom,” she said. “We went on a tour and brainstorming session at the Haas Center for Public Service at Stanford University and learned a lot. We wanted it to feel more like a living room of sorts, a place where students new to service could come and be supported.”
Photo by Lena Kalotihos (c) 2019
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