Hackley’s Service Leadership for Social Impact Class gives students the opportunity to learn about issues in their community and in Westchester. They learn more about issues like poverty, homelessness, food insecurity, and much more. The class is led by Ms.DeMarchena, Director of Community Engagement and Service Learning.

Class Overview

The class originated as a continuation of past students’ work. Ms. DeMarchena said that in her post AP class, students engaged in many different projects related to serving their community. Students who did not take post-AP and students who did, wanted to continue community service outside of the classroom. A central reason students joined the class was to look for a way to give back to their community.

Sophomore Gracie Eleck is a member of the class.

“The reason I decided to take this class was so I could have a bigger role in service and helping our community and school, and be a leader,” Gracie noted that even a small role would help her feel like she’s helping her community.

Sophomore Melanie Madison, also a member of the class, said, “I thought it would be a great opportunity to get involved in volunteering.” She wasn’t involved in this work outside of school and thought this class would be a fun way to start.

Meaningful and Favorite Projects

Using bake sales and food drives, this class helps raise money for organizations and build awareness. These events help students address different needs across Westchester. Student leaders and other teachers reach out to organizations over the summer and the beginning of the school year to see what they need.

“We want the relationship (with the organization) sustained,” Ms. DeMarchena said.

It’s important to make connections with different organizations and honor those long-standing relationships. One of the class’s most notable partnerships is with the Abbott House, an organization that supports families with complex needs. Students help run their fundraiser gala and also help with art and music programming for children in the Allen Center for the Creative Arts and Technology. For Hackley’s involvement with Abbott House, they are getting an award called “Friends of Abbott House”.

Gracie said that one of the projects most meaningful to her was the period poverty project. “I got to learn about period poverty and I got to educate people about it as well,” Gracie said. The class addressed this issue through a bake sale.

“I liked helping out people who didn’t even have the basic necessities. I thought it was a nice opportunity,” Melanie said.

Impact on Community

A main way the class has an impact on the community is by specifically working with Westchester organizations.

“We will always bend more quickly to an organization that is in Westchester.” Ms. DeMarchena said.

The class also challenges students to reflect upon themselves and their community. At the beginning of the year, the class focuses on core questions like what it means to serve, what I can bring to the table, and how specific social issues manifest in Westchester.

The focus on the students’ own communities has made a major impact on how they view it. Gracie said that she believed that Westchester was a wealthy area, but the coat drive the class is currently running showed how many people are struggling. Melaine agreed, saying she wasn’t aware of the social issues in Westchester, but this class, “100% changed the way I view it.”

Students’ Thoughts on the Class

Many students enjoy the class and leave with new insight about what’s happening in their community.

Melanie said, “It’s great to get involved with volunteering as well as learning a lot about the issues,” and that, “This class is a lot of fun, I look forward to it every week.”

Gracie said that it’s cool to learn about all the different ways you can help people. This year, the Service Leadership for Social Impact class will continue to foster longstanding relationships while supporting new ones. As Hackley’s community service initiative grows, this class shows how much of a difference teenagers can make throughout their communities