Building Life Ready Graduates through a Culture of Service to Others

Recently, a team from my new district, Northport-East Northport, located on Long Island, had the privilege of presenting at the Future-Focused Schools Conference in Washington, D.C.  The presentation was entitled When Schools Have No Walls:  Building Life Ready Graduates through a Culture of Service to Others.  I started as the district's superintendent in January 2024.  I was looking forward to taking a team to the conference to build a foundation for our future work together.  Being new, I had no intention of submitting a proposal to present.  However, as I learned more about the district, I could not believe how deeply rooted the ethos of service is in the culture of Northport-East Northport.  It was on display everywhere I turned.  It is truly part of the district's DNA, and I wanted to celebrate this commitment with my team.  In doing so, I had hoped that their story might also inspire others.

It Starts Young, and It Starts with Tier I

Most districts participate in various forms of community service.  Common examples are holiday coat drives, Relay for Life, St. Baldrick's Day, etc.  But, in Northport-East Northport, the commitment to service goes well beyond anything that I had seen previously in my career.  This commitment permeates all aspects of the school experience through curriculum and extra and co-curricular activities at all grade levels, is inclusive of all students, and consistently involves community partnerships.  I think one of the keys to how this became so prevalent in Northport-East Northport, is that it begins the second students walk through their elementary school doors.

I have always believed that one can buy whatever program it wants, but if Tier I instruction is not solid, nothing else matters.  So, while Northport-East Northport does offer a wealth of opportunities for students, I think the foundation of service begins with its commitment to Responsive Classroom in our elementary schools.  All of our elementary teachers are trained in Responsive Classroom, and its principles are implemented with fidelity.  To me, what separates Responsive Classroom from other approaches is that it is not a program per se, but rather a mindset about what constitutes effective instructional practice at the elementary grade level.

In addition, kindergarten students are immediately connected to older grade level peers.  The idea of caring for others starts in building school culture and then branches out from there.  Many of our efforts are tied to district curriculum and have no direct costs attached.  In nearly every curricular area, high school students work with our middle and elementary school students through in-house field trips, STEM Fairs, Mock Trial, reading buddies, and in many other ways.

Admittedly, we are fortunate in Northport-East Northport to have the resources to offer 230+ clubs and activities in our schools.  So, we do have organizations like Key Club and Interact, like many districts, and are fortunate to have a lot of them.  However, much of our success is attributable to the approach the district has taken to structuring its academic program, and all districts have structures in place that they can leverage for opportunities for service if they were to choose to make that commitment.  In addition to being an International Baccalaureate high school, all of our content areas have internal honor societies.  We also have an Academy of Finance and an Academy of Instructional Technology.  Our honor societies and academies drive the vast majority of service activity at the high school level.  

One example is the Food Pantry at Northport High School.  The Food Pantry started out in 2019 as a Girl Scout Gold Project but soon fizzled.  The onset of COVID reinforced the need for the pantry.  The Academy of Finance took ownership of the pantry.  The pantry was reinvigorated and soon branched out into providing clothes, as well.  However, that is not the end of the story.  The Food Pantry is now one of the most important supports in the community, especially for our EL students and their families.  Our high school students and faculty soon realized that many of the people who needed support through the pantry needed support in other parts of their lives.  The district now utilizes the pantry as an educational center for families, providing them with access to other community resources, houses a book library for children, and provides gently used spirit wear so that all children can feel a part of their school communities. 


Connection to Life Readiness

A recent McKinsey and Company White Paper (Dondi, et. al., 2021) identifies 56 foundational skills organized into 13 skill groups across four primary skill categories that employers cite as the most critical for workforce success.


Our students regularly take a design thinking approach to identifying and planning their service projects.  They start with empathy from the point of view of the people who may be in need of support, creatively and collaboratively develop and implement a plan, and take ownership and accountability for outcomes and the success of the project.  These are the types of things that we say we want to see in our classrooms but often only see in activities outside of the classroom.  And, these are the very things that employers say they need the most in their workforce.

It is clear that service projects support virtually every component of the model.  Digital Skills get at something else entirely.  However, though far from exhaustive, examples from the other three domains include structured problem solving, understanding biases, time management and prioritization, asking the right questions, and creativity and imagination (Cognitive); empathy, humility, fostering inclusiveness, and collaboration (Interpersonal); and understanding own strengths, driving change and innovation, and energy, passion, and optimism (Self-Leadership).  

Leadership Considerations

For a district considering elevating its commitment to service, I recommend the following thoughts:

1) Culture trumps programs.

Focus on building a healthy culture and instilling a concern for others in the fabric of the school, and it will be natural that students will want to reach out into their community and do the same.

2) Start young, and do not forget that it all begins with your approach to Tier I instruction.

This will be the true indicator of what your district values.

3) Identify the unique characteristics and strengths of your community.

It is easier to get started by plugging into community centers and existing organizations that are designed and chartered to support philanthropy.  Most of what can be done does not need to be invented from scratch.  In our town, we have a local Veterans Hospital.  Almost all towns have senior centers, and most communities have service organizations such as Rotary Clubs or other non-profits such as Boys and Girls Clubs.

4) Maximize existing structures.

Most districts have clubs and activities that include a commitment to service as part of their purpose.  However, there could be untapped areas that could creatively support service learning.  In Northport-East Northport, we leverage our honor societies and our academies.  

5) Consider developing a Portrait of a Graduate.

A Portrait of a Graduate identifies the competencies that a district believes all of its students need for success in life upon graduation.  Identifying these competencies support the development of a measurement system that moves beyond traditional standardized indicators of achievement and allows the district to create a consistent narrative about the student experience to share with the community.  However, be sure to recognize the importance of authentic community engagement.  It takes communities time to understand that the skills and competencies that our children need are different that what most of us experienced in school.

Summary

Service learning is a promising option for schools committed to supporting students in developing the life readiness skills that will prepare students for post graduate success.  For schools and districts interested in considering this approach, I suggest five considerations to support success:  1) Culture trumps programs, 2) Start young, and do not forget that it all begins with your approach to Tier I instruction, 3) Identify the unique characteristics and strengths of your community, 4) Maximize existing structures, and 5) Consider developing a Portrait of a Graduate.

Resources:

Battelle for Kids, Portrait of a Graduate, https://www.battelleforkids.org/portrait-of-a-graduate/.

Dondi, et. al. (2021), Defining the Skills Citizens Will Need in the Future World of Work, McKinsey and     Company.

Responsive Classroom,  https://www.responsiveclassroom.org/.

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