Service in Action: Grade 7 Torreys Partner with Local Organizations
Middle schoolers make an impact locally by taking learning beyond the classroom for a day of service.
Digging in the dirt, preparing meals, building tents, and playing card games with seniors, more than 110 Torreys spent the morning serving communities across San Diego as part of a service learning project. The day of service is a key component of the Middle School’s Facing History and Ourselves advisory curriculum, turning classroom conversations about community into real-world impact.
The Grade 7 Service Day was designed to introduce students to the core principles of service learning by connecting classroom learning with meaningful, hands-on engagement in the San Diego community. Through partnerships with organizations focused on environmental stewardship, food justice, and intergenerational connection, students explored how local needs are addressed through collective action.
Working directly alongside community partners, students contributed tangible support—restoring natural spaces, preparing meals for neighbors facing illness, and building relationships with seniors —while building empathy, responsibility, and a deeper understanding of civic engagement.
Partner Organizations
- San Diego River Park Foundation: Students supported environmental restoration efforts at the San Diego River estuary by helping maintain native habitats.
- Balboa Park: Assisted with park beautification and maintenance
- Mama’s Kitchen: Helped prepare meals for San Diegans vulnerable to malnutrition due to critical illness. The organization provides medically tailored meals free of charge.
- SD Make: Visited MAKE Projects, a hyperlocal farm, cafe, and social enterprise that empowers refugee and immigrant women through food, agriculture, and community.
- Belmont Village Senior Living: Engaged with residents through conversation and activities, fostering meaningful intergenerational connections
Middle School History Teacher Martin Mays, M.Ed., shares, “Through the Facing History and Ourselves curriculum, our students spend the second trimester exploring what it means to be a good community member and where they can make a difference locally. The day of service gives them a chance to put those ideas into action and see how small efforts can support the larger community.”
The day concluded with structured reflection, allowing students to process their experiences and consider their own roles as active, thoughtful members of their community.
