Getting to the end of the school year and realizing that, despite your best efforts, you are still three CE credits short has to be one of the most frustratingly relatable experiences for Menlo students. When the school year wraps up and the CE credit requirement grows increasingly daunting, I usually resort to cramming in singular, one-credit service experiences whenever I can.
As the year progresses, service credits become increasingly difficult to fulfill, particularly for those with busy weekends. As a result, finding something that you are passionate about contributing to becomes more challenging with every passing month.
Subsequently, many students resort to attending Knight Vision meetings during lunch or participating in crafts to gain extra credits here and there, often going to as many low-effort experiences as possible to fulfill the requirement. However, this can feel as if students are just checking the box rather than intentionally choosing the areas where they want to make a difference. So, here is my question regarding the way Menlo runs the community engagement scene: Are short, individual experiences really beneficial to the community and students? Does this type of system align with the true reason behind doing service?
The short answer is that doing anything to help the community is impactful; all volunteer experiences benefit the world around us. The slightly longer, and possibly controversial, answer is that I think the way Menlo runs its community engagement is not benefiting students’ awareness and learning as intended.
Sophomore Joann Taualo participated in a two-day mental health summit for community engagement through Menlo, during which she spoke to a panel about student mental health. “I felt more connected to [the experience] because I spent more time on it,” Taualo said.
Her more time-consuming, larger engagement experience perfectly sums up how Menlo community engagement should be reconstructed. Here is my proposal: At the beginning of every school year, each student will connect with one organization of their choosing and repeatedly complete service throughout the year for the organization they selected.
A singular ongoing community experience would not only be more engaging and productive for students and their respective passions, but also more impactful on our community. When a student builds a relationship with one organization, they learn to take initiative, build responsibility and can complete more complex and impactful tasks over time.
Not only would students sticking with one organization better impact our community, but it would also be a better system for teaching students the meaning of
community service, societal awareness and compassion.
According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the human brain creates neurological connections and pathways through repeated actions in a process called neuroplasticity. In other words, doing one community engagement experience isn’t really helping you learn or absorb important skills, compared to that of year-long participation under one philanthropic organization.
Despite what I believe would be more beneficial, Menlo’s community engagement system is still far from ineffective. Many students have still found their true passions in service via our CE program, and the impact that student-led service has on our community is undeniable. Even the opportunity to participate in such organized service is a privilege, but furthering it using a more focused, year-long commitment can be transformative — both for Menlo students and the communities we serve.
The way I see it, the way CE is currently run at Menlo highlights obligation instead of curiosity and ambition. The idea of participating in service can evoke stress instead of empathy, social awareness or reflection. Thus, Menlo should support students in working
with one organization throughout the year to create a deeper connection to a singular issue, so that service becomes a meaningful relationship and not just a graduation requirement.
