Community Outreach & Global Engagement
From WRA community member to global citizen, and everything in between, one year at a time.
Lux et Veritas, or Light and Truth, is a guiding principle of WRA. For hundreds of years, the phrase has inspired Pioneers to live with courage and honesty because the words remind us there's a purpose bigger than ourselves.
In this spirit, Reserve's social mission comes to life. Our Community Outreach & Global Engagement program is called re-SERVE Inside Out and focuses on grade level themes. re-SERVE challenges students to become an active member of our internal community freshman year, serve our neighboring communities sophomore year, recognize our environmental impact junior year and both mentor incoming community members and become responsible global leaders as seniors and PGs.
We serve communities, both neighboring and far, to better understand and know the world around us. Most significantly, we give our students the chance to steer this mission through our Service Leaders program, and we watch with pride and admiration as they take on the responsibility of planning, organizing and running a multitude of service projects.
By providing our students with every chance to lend a hand to others, we strengthen their resolve to make a difference. Learn more about our Family of Support.
By actively participating in community outreach, we can cultivate a sense of gratitude and appreciation for what we have.
- William Bartlett ’24
Who are the WRA Service Leaders?
WRA's Service Leaders curate multiple opportunities for the WRA community to engage in service projects. With every fundraising event and service activity, you can expect the Service Leaders to educate their peers about this opportunity, explain what is needed and why it's so important to give back.
For these Service Leaders, volunteering is not just a pastime, it is an essential part of their lives. Their civic contributions often extend far beyond their Service Leader responsibilities and into personal pursuits, such as taking on the role of Red Cross Ambassador.
Each year, Service Leaders run several major school fundraisers, such as Haunted Hayden Hall, candy cane sales to benefit The Akron Canton Food Bank, the Toys for Tots drive and the annual May Color Run that benefits the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota, where select students travel for a service trip each summer.
They also make sure WRA's community service offerings are plentiful and robust, with opportunities sprinkled throughout the year. These can include special visits to Haven of Rest, ringing the kettle bell for the Salvation Army and a festive trip to the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad's North Pole Adventures—where students dress up as Christmas elves and spread holiday cheer!
MEET WRA'S SERVICE LEADERS
Ava Palfi '24, Donald Heddesheimer '24, Kendall Krueger '24, Matt Hart '24, Mira Zamarro '24, Paige Dix '24, Sydney Davis '23, Annie Nguyen '23, Bingyi "Aaron" Chen '23, Brendan Gallagher '23, Ela Mody '23, Elba Heddesheimer '23, Gabrielle Hrivnak '23, Jeffrey Krapf '23, Jenny Williams '23, Landon Allis '23, Lucy Li '23, Maddie Aliff '23, Maggie Baker '23, Sheilla Muligande '23, Stella Lee '23, Vivian Zhou '23, Annie Cui '22, Daniel Li '22, Danielle Liu '22, David King '22, Ella Bump '22, Emily Brackin '22, Esme Cummins '22, Grace Jeon '22, Hannah Ma '22, Jakob Palfi '22, Jimena Oliva '22, Jin Lee '22, Kayla Jiang '22, Kennedy Schmid '22, Laila Hensley-Edelman '22, Lily Schultz '22, Michelle O'Connor '22, Natalie Ham '22, Sehee Renee Oh '22, Teliyah Davis '22, Zachary Hart '22 and Claire Lovas '22.
Everywhere we go -- we do our best to take pictures so that we can always remember the amazing experience!
RECENT ACTS OF SERVICE
WRA grasps the power of giving, especially during the holidays. Learn more about our community outreach so far this year!
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In September and October, WRA students volunteered their time at West Creek Reservation, Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Haven of Rest, Legacies of Success, Peter Maurin Center, Joseph House of Cleveland and the Hudson Farmers Market.
2021-2022 Community Outreach & Global Engagement Year in Review
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Habitat for Humanity housing simulation, Salvation Army bell ringing, Chair-ITY volunteering, 2022 Color Run.
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In February, students raised $1,700 from Crush-O-Gram sales in support of DIPG childhood cancer research. To date, more than $14,000 has been raised and donated through the sale of Crush-O-Grams.
++On Sunday, May 2, 2021 WRA held its annual Color Run, raising $1,100 for Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota.
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In 2021, the school's efforts raised $2,150 from Crush-O-Gram sales, which will go to Cleveland Clinic's breast cancer vaccine which is being researched and developed in The Tuohy Lab.
++WRA's Service Leaders received a special thank you from Honduras for sending funds for hurricane relief. By donating $150 to the organization Operación ETA, WRA provided a month's supply of food for 20 families, all purchased from local farmers, shops and small businesses.
WRA SERVICE // BY THE NUMBERS
The economic value of WRA community service hours in the 2021-2022 school year is over $34,848 so far!
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In the 2019-2020 school year, WRA's Community Outreach program raised $60,880 through fundraising and donations.
The WRA community participated in 2,465 hours of service.
WRA supported 17 organizations, including the Akron-Canton Food Bank, Habitat for Humanity, Haven of Rest, the Salvation Army and more.
Learn more about Community Outreach & Global Engagement
Our Mission
The Department of Community Outreach & Global Engagement advances the school's values of citizenship and regional and global engagement by providing educational and civic engagement opportunities in both our local and global communities.
The Program
Our focus is on embedding the value of community outreach into student lifestyles. This means encouraging students to find opportunities to work with organizations that fit with their personal values to gain a better understanding of why we serve.
Who is the recipient of WRA's service?
Students regularly volunteer for organizations such as:- The International Institute of Akron
- The Akron Canton Food Bank
- Haven Of Rest
- The Cuyahoga Valley National Park
- The Salvation Army
- Habitat for Humanity
- Case Barlow Farm Park
- Landing of Stow Assisted Living
- Big Brothers Big Sisters
- Cycles for Christ
- Creative Learning Center (Day Care Center)
Coming from such a place of privilege, attending an institution like WRA, we have easy access to meals, warmth, and the kind faces of our peers that so many others do not have. It is important to show our appreciation for the things we have and recognize all that we can provide for our greater community through service. It is our duty to utilize our education and privilege in a positive way.
- Maddie Aliff ’23
Service Travel Opportunities
Our outreach trips provide students with the opportunity to engage in meaningful service in the context of cultural immersion. Students gain a global perspective as they witness the challenges facing the communities they serve.
While encountering another culture, students grapple with global complexities and their local implications: economic realities, social inequality and far-reaching ecological consequences.
Our service travel opportunities include: