Last week, the SD community witnessed our ROSE Senior Showcase, held across campus in Dominican Hall, Upper School classrooms, and the Carol Franc Buck Hall of the Arts. Every senior delivered a final presentation of their service projects in front of parents, guardians, alumni, friends, and peers. The projects were as varied as the passions and interests of our students themselves, from the construction of a greenhouse to the conservation of ocean mammals, from repurposing fabric and clothing to providing sports equipment to young girls in Malawi, and everything in between. All told, 89 students shared their triumphs and challenges of completing their chosen project.
Our Eighth Grade class was invited to explore the senior poster showcase in Dominican Hall, where they learned about and were inspired by the service-learning experiences of the senior class. The buzz in the showcase hall was enthusiastic, to say the least! You could almost hear the eighth graders’ thoughts out loud as they began contemplating their own ROSE journey that they will begin this fall.
Standing near the entrance to the showcase, Social Justice Teacher and ROSE Program Coordinator Kathy Hagee remarked, “Can it get any better than this? As SD continues to follow its vision of service and leadership, it is inspiring to see these young people come alongside need gaps and activate into action. Only through action do we truly understand how empowering it is to lead through service.”
What is the ROSE Program? In their final year at SD, our Upper School students complete a yearlong service-learning project as part of the multi-year ROSE (Real Opportunities for Service Education) Program. Students are introduced to the purpose and obligations of this graduation requirement in their freshman and sophomore years. As juniors, students fulfill a Social Justice course requirement, in which they learn the necessary skills to be scholars for justice and explore how service can empower and motivate others. In their final year at SD, students are asked to practice being change-agents by identifying their access points and realistic resources to complete a service project of their design or choosing, and present their projects to the SD community.