Chargers Serve during annual Service Week

Members of the Shorecrest class of 2010 spearheaded the commitment to spending time during the school year as a Mission-focused service learning program. Since then, a week of the second semester in Upper School has been dedicated as Service Week, wherein projects serve those in need in our local, national and global communities. Faculty and staff members lead Service Week programs and students choose from a wide array of options that fulfill their interests and passions. 

Students in grades 9, 10 and 12 will have provided over 5,000 hours of community service by the time the week is completed, supporting the School’s Mission of educating socially responsible citizens. (Eleventh graders use this week to focus on college-application readiness with the College Counseling team.)

In addition to assisting organizations around the Tampa Bay Area, students traveled to learn and work with the Oglala Lakota Nation on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota, assisted park rangers with prepping campsites and trails in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park in Tennessee, and supported marine ecosystems conservation efforts in the Dominican Republic. 

Chargers got out in nature locally at 15th Street Farm, St. Pete Youth Farm, Keep Pinellas Beautiful and Stewards of our Urban Lakes. They assisted charitable organizations such as Creative Clay, Empath Health, Goodwill, Ronald McDonald House, Salvation Army and The Kind Mouse. They worked with animals at the Humane Society of Tampa Bay and Seaside Seabird Sanctuary, and with people at the Sunshine Center, and as Lower School and Middle School teaching assistants. Some used their talents to write letters to Veterans and First Responders, cook with SAGE Dining Services or beautify classrooms with large-scale paintings. 

Through their work with non-profit organizations, Chargers come to better understand the needs of each community. These hands-on experiences stay with students long after the week ends.