Upper School Forum Links Students With Service Agencies

Upper School students participated in a Community Service Roundtable Forum on Friday, February 20. The event, organized by Sara Mierke, Director of Community Partnerships and Service Learning, her assistant Susan Jambor, and Hawken parents Lynne Cohen, Joon-Li Kim, and Peter Anagnostos, was designed to inspire and inform students about the many ways in which they can dedicate their time and energy for the betterment of the greater Cleveland community. Nonprofit leaders from over 30 different organizations have been invited to speak to students about their work, their organizations, and opportunities for service. Students attended two panels organized around the following themes: the elderly and aging, literacy and education, health and wellness, international relief and development, community economic development, hunger, environmental sustainability, immigration and refugees, homelessness, and children and families. Among the agencies represented were the Famicos Foundation, Cleveland Reads, Hope for Honduran Children, Hunger Network of Greater Cleveland, and Habitat for Humanity. Upper School parent volunteers were on hand in each session and students served as moderators. In addition to providing opportunities for students to make a difference in their community, the forum was designed to support for key nonprofits in Northeast Ohio by connecting them with motivated and committed Hawken student volunteers.