Junior year, as we all know, is filled with many different exciting opportunities, from SAT to college counseling.  Juniors have also been given the opportunity of completing 30 hours of community service for our religious studies classes. This project, called Kingdom Fair, is worked on year round and has multiple parts to it. First, students must choose an approved service organization, which requires one to know the type of service they want to do and also some research on a number of organizations. The organizations can range from helping kids with homework and reading to painting the nails of people at senior centers, but all types of service must have one-on-one contact with people. The teachers help with suggestions and presenting examples of previous projects and organizations. Students also have the opportunity to complete their service over summer at certain camps and organizations.

The second part of the assignment, and most important, is physically doing the service. This part is the most rewarding part of the whole assignment. I volunteered my time at the Richstone Family Center in Inglewood, which is a nonprofit abuse treatment center and has an after school program where students in the area go to work on school work and play until an adult can pick them up. I absolutely loved the place where I volunteered because I love working with kids and tutoring them, and it allowed me to be selfless and take that time to help them. Service experiences allow for people to grow character and put others before themselves. Service allows one to develop their people skills, feel compassion for others, and improve the quality of life for others as well. Some people skills that can be developed through service are leadership, time-management, teamwork, and communication, which are all important life skills.

This is why I believe this service is crucial to the curriculum at Marymount. Service also can also change someone’s life in a positive way due to bonds and friendships that could be made because of a deeper understanding. The third part of the assignment is the papers and research, and the fourth is preparing the board and presenting. Although this project has many parts to it, students are given ample amount of time to complete and work on all parts of it with teachers as well. Ultimately, I think this project is necessary for Marymount students because it helps us become more selfless and it teaches us to be appreciative of what we have.