Coed, independent, PK3-12th grade school in St. Petersburg, Florida.

Developing social responsibility at Shorecrest: Turning Empathy into Action

At Shorecrest, instilling a sense of social responsibility in all of our students, from our youngest three-year-olds in The Experiential School through our seniors in the Upper School, is a priority. 

The school’s commitment to community service is facilitated through staff who connect students with on- and off-campus service opportunities and outside organizations, and work with faculty and parent volunteers to plan and implement a year-round Service Learning program.

Students receive mentoring to choose and engage in service efforts, to find their potential as leaders through civic engagement, and to extend their learning beyond the classroom to discover the intrinsic value of serving others.

Meeting the needs of local service organizations, participating in traditional annual service events, and responding to national and global demands brought on by natural disasters and community needs provide Shorecrest students countless opportunities to be of service.

Upper School students commit hundreds of hours each year of service, far surpassing any requirements for college applications or scholarships. While most of their time is spent on student-led projects or club involvement, many give numerous hours outside of school, during weekends and vacations, serving alone or alongside their families, in their own communities or in places outside of Tampa Bay.

Because Shorecrest students learn at an early age the importance of giving their time and talent, they discover the intrinsic value of service. This character education becomes a natural extension of their lives.

List of 4 items.

  • The Experiential School (ages 3-5)

    Students of The Experiential School of Tampa Bay are regular beneficiaries of on-campus service efforts by older students through Reading Buddies, Lunch Buddies, and Campus Pals mentoring. The youngest of the Shorecrest students also have opportunities to participate in service to our outside community throughout the year. Students also take part in the annual, all-school Holiday Gift Drive, fulfilling gift wish lists for foster-care children served through the Guardian ad Litem program.

    Preschool students share what they learn in art and music with the school's neighbors at Winston Park apartments. Each December, the retirees living next door enjoy holiday cheer delivered by the 3-5 year-old students with handmade cards as well as a program of songs.

    The Experiential School students learn about recycling, reducing and reusing. They regularly use unwanted and discarded materials for art projects and building activities. They also help beautify the campus by taking "trash walks" to pick up litter. One of their greatest learning experiences regarding the environmental impact of trash happens during the Waste-free Lunch Challenge for Earth Day. They compare the difference in the amount of waste created from their lunches when packed in reusable containers instead of disposables.

    In conjunction with their unit on pets, our youngest students bake dog biscuits for a local animal shelter. They have also held pet supplies drives which have benefited Pet Pal Rescue and SPCA of Tampa Bay.

  • Lower School

    Much of Lower School students' efforts to serve others take place within our campus community. Many fourth graders get hands-on experience working as Safety Patrols, escorting their classmates and younger students from and to cars during morning drop-off or afternoon pick-up times. Several classes devote their time as Reading Buddies to younger students, including our 3- and 4-year-old classrooms.

    Lower School students are some of the most enthusiastic participants in the all-school efforts such as the Holiday Gift Drive and annual food drives.

    For the past few years, our Lower School students have been the leaders of our Fall Food Drive for The Kind Mouse, leading the way for collecting donations and connecting the drive to their learning in the classroom in one of our strongest Service Learning programs.
  • Middle School

    Middle School students are active participants and leaders for our annual Food Drives for both The Kind Mouse and St. Pete Free Food Clinic. 

    The seventh grade has been active in creating a partnership with the Sunshine Center in downtown St. Pete, researching health topics relevant to seniors and making presentations to inform and connect with elderly residents. 

    Eighth graders are encouraged to research and take on service projects which they can continue in their Upper School years. 

    Many Middle School students take part in a week-long Community Service Camp offered through Shorecrest Summer Programs. Each day, the students get hands-on experience working with one of Shorecrest’s Service Partner organizations. The activities vary each summer providing the students a sampling of local opportunities to be of service. Summer program participants have served the local food bank operated by the St. Petersburg Free Clinic, Southeastern Guide Dogs, Salvation Army and Keeping Pinellas Beautiful.
  • Upper School

    By the time Shorecrest students reach the Upper School, serving others has become a way of life. Students in grades 9-12 commit hundreds of hours to community service and have countless opportunities to be of service during their high school years both in and out of school. Whether through service clubs such as the Key Club or Interact, or through special interest clubs such as Spanish or the Beach Cleanup Society, students work year-round on projects that benefit our outside community. Upper School students may also serve as classroom helpers to teachers and as mentors to younger students or peer tutors in The Learning Center and through the National Honor Society.

    One week of second semester is dedicated as Service Week, where most of the projects involve serving those in need in our local, national and global communities. The week-long effort has taken Shorecrest students as far away as a coffee plantation in Guatemala, a ranch in Arkansas, a school in Louisiana, conservation efforts in Cuba, an orphanage in Haiti and the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. Locally they have helped to construct a house with Habitat for Humanity, cooked and served meals at the Ronald McDonald House and the Beacon House, helped with coastal restoration efforts through Tampa Bay Watch, and took part in Empty Bowls to raise money for the St. Petersburg Free Clinic's Food Bank.

    Upper School students also get involved in school-wide efforts such as the Holiday Gift Drive and food drives for both Kind Mouse and St. Pete Free Food Clinic. They also serve as camp assistants and coaches for our Summer Programs.

    Students also have opportunities to create their own service clubs and programs for Service Week, honoring the history of Service Week as a program that was created by and for students in 2010. More information on this can be found under Service Policies.

Service Calendar Highlights

Fall: Food Drive for The Kind Mouse (Whole School) 
Winter: Holiday Gift Drive to benefit children in the Guardian ad Litem Program (Full School)
Spring: Service Week (Upper School)

Students: to report Service Hours, find links at the bottom of the For Students page.

Milan S. Class of 2015, Anne Frank Humanitarian Award Recipient

Service Events

Shorecrest Preparatory School

5101 First Street Northeast
St Petersburg, FL 33703
Phone: (727) 522-2111  |  Fax: (727) 527-4191
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Shorecrest Preparatory School is a private, non-sectarian, coeducational, college preparatory day school for students preschool through high school, located in St. Petersburg, Florida.