The Lovett School promotes service learning through many programs in the Upper School. SING (Service Initiation for Ninth Graders) focuses on service learning through activities with planned curricular support. SING places ninth graders and advisors in service sites around the city of Atlanta over a two-day period. Prior to the trip, students read and analyze literature on poverty, service, homelessness, and urban development issues. While on SING, students respond to journal prompts and have evening discussions about their experiences. English teachers then ask students to use their journal entries to create a personal narrative, and, in some cases, students are asked to present their works during chapel. Another class experience, RAFT (River Awareness for Tenth Graders), is similar in its approach, yet with an emphasis on ecology, conservation, and sustainability. The school has also partnered with CARE and the Paideia School to create the CARE Future Leaders Program. The program was initiated in an effort to increase awareness among today’s youth and troubling issues that impact the daily lives of people around the world, particularly in developing countries. In the Spring, the students travel to Lovett's Siempre Verde site in Ecuador. Prior to the trip, students participate in an internship at CARE headquarters in Atlanta. Many academic courses provide rich opportunities for service learning. Urban Experience, On a Mission from God, New Testament, and others offer students an in depth look at the purpose and meaning of service, as well as an introduction to the many inspirational people who have made service and philanthropy the focus of their lives and careers.
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Community Service
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- Atlanta Community Foodbank Founder and President Bill Bolling had lunch with the Upper School Student Service Board while visiting Lovett on January 11. In addition to meeting with the Service Board, Mr. Bolling met with students in several classes and spoke at an assembly.
Lovett is committed to increasing opportunities for students to participate in service projects. In order to provide leadership, structure, and organization to these efforts, an elected Student Service Board (SSB) oversees fundraisers and service projects. Two students from each grade are elected during the spring. The SSB works closely with the student government to promote events and encourage student participation. The Lower School Student Service Council (SSC) is made up of third, fourth, and fifth grade volunteers. Approximately 100 students get involved each year in projects, such as aluminum can drives to support Habitat for Humanity, a Warm Clothes and Necessities Collection for Atlanta's homeless, and bake sales for various charities. Students help to select the projects and many have focused on organizations that help animals and their owners. SSC members regularly participate with the Upper School students in CAP (Confronting Atlanta's Poverty) by making sandwiches for distribution to homeless folkes each Saturday in downtown Atlanta. For more information, please contact Martha Osborne, SSC coordinator, at mosborne@lovett.org.
Lovett students are involved in several partnerships and long-standing service projects:
- Lovett is a campus chapter for Habitat for Humanity. Each year, our students, along with those from other independent schools around Atlanta, build a Habitat home for a family in need.
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Confronting Atlanta Poverty (CAP) was founded 10 years ago by a Lovett student. Each Friday afternoon during the school year, students gather to make approximately 200 sack meals for the homeless. On Saturday morning, student volunteers meet at 8:00 am to deliver the meals. In addition to making food on a weekly basis, the group also gather hygiene items.
- Lovett students serve as volunteer tutors to children at the AGAPE Community Center. Each Wednesday, a group of Lovett volunteers help elementary school-aged children with their homework and projects. As relationships develop over the school year, Lovett students become friends and mentor with their AGAPE charges.
- There are a number of other service clubs and organizations on campus that plan season and one-time service opportunites.
- The Vestry exists to encourage students in their relationship with God, to assist and participate in chapel services, to gather offerings for charity, and to carry out service projects.
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Student Internships
The Student Internship Program seeks to place interested students in internships that will allow them to explore a wide range of careers and interests. Following an application process and interview, selected students will be matched with an internship based on the student’s career interests and time availability. Past internships have included careers in business, photography, art, finance, historic preservation, fashion design, conservation, law, event planning, film, and language.
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Mission Trips
During the spring break of 2009, 36 members of the Lovett community (parents and students) traveled to the Dominican Republic on Lovett’s first mission trip. The group worked to help a community of Haitian refugees in Barahona, one of the largest cities in the Dominican Republic. Two mission trips are planned for spring break 2010. Members of the Lovett community will visit the Dominican Republic and Honduras.