During the 2014-15 school year, The Village School Athletic Department made a conscious effort to promote and encourage our athletic teams to experience the many benefits of Service Learning projects. Service Learning is a great way for our student-athletes to gain hands on experience while giving back to the community. Our teams have given generously to many different agencies around the community. They have volunteered their time at soup kitchens, food banks, recovery programs, and environmental leadership programs around Houston. Not only do our teams give their time, but we also sponsor and promote events to help raise awareness for many different causes such as: American Heart Association, Breast Cancer Awareness, and Splash out Leukemia.

As we have transitioned into the 2015-16 school year, The Village School Athletic Department has already surpassed last year’s commitment by increasing our level of involvement within the community. In the fall, we hosted a Dig Pink fundraising event that directly impacted a family. In the winter, we hosted our 2nd annual Breast Cancer Awareness Game, which raised more than $4,000. In the spring, we will host another charitable event that is in the process of being put together.

In addition to our on-campus charity events that our athletic programs host, our teams also go on Service Learning projects around the community. We are currently committed to a year-long Service Project with Barbara Bush Elementary. Our girls basketball and soccer programs have been alternating each week by sending members of their teams to help read to the kindergarten ELL students of Barbara Bush. With class ratios consisting of 25:1, Barbara Bush is in need of assistance for those students who need personal attention. Our girls have done a fantastic job of providing them with added support by tutoring these ELL students for 1 hour each week, in a private 1:1 setting. In the spring, our girls lacrosse, tennis, and golf teams will continue this commitment until the end of the school year. To this point, it has been remarkable to witness the development and progression that each child has been making in both their reading and writing skills.

This winter, our boys basketball and soccer programs visited Open Door Mission. Open Door Mission is a drug and alcohol recovery program that also serves as a transitional living home. Open Door provides programs to its residents and members of the community in order to help ease them back into society. Last year, our boys JV basketball team volunteered at this agency, which marked the first service learning project for our athletic department. This year, the boys Varsity basketball and soccer teams continued our support of this agency by helping in their kitchen area. The boys were tasked with prepping food, making sack lunches for the week, cooking, and cleaning. The boys were also in charge of serving the food to the residents. We were received with open arms. It was a great experience for our boys and one that we are excited to continue in order to provide a helping hand in our community. The boys lacrosse, tennis, and golf teams are scheduled to volunteer at Open Door this spring.

The philosophy of our athletic department is to develop high character in each of our student-athletes. Our goal is to make “Better Athletes, Better People” (Positive Coaching Alliance). These Service Learning projects are teaching our athletes the value of service work, helping them become mindful of people who have different circumstances, and helping them understand the value in volunteer work so they can become better people. The Village School Athletic Department is excited to continue our effort to help our student-athletes grow.

To see more pictures and see videos of our Service Learning projects, visit our Service Learning page here:
http://www.teampages.com/organizations/2542/pages/101104