Scholar Service Projects

Habitat For Humanity

During the summer of 2010, ten scholars participated in a service project for Habitat for Humanity in New Orleans, Louisiana. Habitat for Humanity is a non-profit organization that seeks to eliminate poverty and homelessness by providing decent shelter to those in need. Under the supervision of Habitat for Humanity leaders, the Scholars and Scholar Coaches spent five days working on a home construction site in an area ravaged by Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

To build on the success of the 2010 Habitat for Humanity New Orleans trip, the Schuler Scholar Program sent ten Scholars and four Schuler chaperones to Birmingham, Alabama in the summer of 2011. On the way to Alabama, Scholars were introduced to Nashville, “Music City,” by visiting the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, as well as listening to live country music performed by rising artists. While in Birmingham, the SSP assisted in building a house and learned to appreciate the value of their own homes. By working alongside current Habitat homeowners, they deepened their understanding of true service. When the scholars weren’t hard at work in the summer sun, they got a taste of the South by visiting the Civil Rights Institute and enjoying sweet tea and barbecue. Scholars left Birmingham feeling energized about housing issues facing both their communities and the nation at large.

The Schuler Scholar Program hopes to offer a Habitat for Humanity trip during summer of 2012. Please contact Megan Melloy at megan@schulerprogram.org for more information.

St. Columbanus Food Pantry

The SSP is proud to announce a new partnership with the Columbanus Food Pantry, located at 331 East 71st Street (71st and Calumet). With assistance from the Greater Chicago Food Depository, St. Columbanus serves food and groceries to over 500 at-risk families per week on the south side of Chicago. The food pantry will offer a wonderful and rewarding service opportunity for Schuler Scholars on the first Saturday of every month from 9 am to 12pm.

For a report on Round Lake High School's Schuler Scholars' October 2012 trip to St. Columbanus, click here.

Chicago Food Depository

Twelve Maine East freshman scholars and staff recently visited the Greater Chicago Food Depository to help package emergency food boxes. In the event of an emergency or food crisis, these boxes feed a family of five for at least 3-4 days. Along with other volunteers from the area, the scholars far surpassed their goal of packing 1000 boxes. Volunteers packed 1250 emergency food boxes – a total of 39,000 pounds of food! Furthermore, volunteers from MEHS also put together 400 mailers for the depository to send to their member organizations about the Hunger Awareness Walk on June 25th, 2011. The Greater Chicago Food Depository helps to feed 1 in 8 in Cook County. This year, they are on track to serve 700,000 people in the Chicagoland area.

Center for Conservation Leadership

Five Highland Park Schuler Scholars participated in the Center for Conservation Leadership (CCL) program run by the Lake Forest Open Lands Association (LFOLA). CCL programs foster future environmental leaders by combining environmental education, a residential summer experience, leadership training, community service and mentored internships. Program participants were required to facilitate a community service project focused on an environmental issue. The Schuler Scholars’ project included an athletic shoe drive for the Nike Reuse-A-Shoe program which recycles shoes into athletic surfaces used in running tracks and playgrounds. The drive was hugely successful with over 400 shoes collected. The second part of the project included recruiting volunteers to clean the bike trail surrounding Highland Park High School. More than nine bags of trash were collected. Two scholars will continue their involvement with the LFOLA by participating in a second year program that includes additional leadership training, a work internship and a 5-day trip to New Orleans to reinforce the skills and knowledge learned during the summer.

WTHS Scholars Volunteer at Woodland Elementary School

Warren Township High School Schuler Scholars’ first Social Awareness and Action project of the school year was a resounding success. Twenty-five WTHS scholars volunteered to provide childcare for Woodland Elementary School’s first graders while the first grade parents attended Curriculum Night. The delighted screams of six-year-olds filled the air as scholars led games of “tag” and “red light, green light” on the playground, played basketball, supervised rope swings in the gym, and shared their favorite children’s books.

Organized by Scholar Coach Madeline Gray as part of Schuler’s Social Awareness and Action program, it was the WTHS scholars’ second time volunteering for the Woodland schools of Gurnee. Last winter, WTHS scholars helped distribute canned goods for Woodland Intermediate School’s holiday food drive. WTHS’ Schuler Scholar Program plans to continue this partnership with the Woodland schools in the future. Aubrey Estrada, WTHS Freshman Scholar, says “I think it was a good experience for us to give back to our own community.”