Originally established in 1990, the Daily Points of Light Award is given each weekday to one volunteer or volunteer effort in the country. St. Paul’s School students received Award #3298.

“This is a tremendous honor for us!” says Merry. “St. Paul’s School students love being a part of the greater Oakland area and working with and serving their community through various projects.

“We are especially thrilled, because the award arrived just as we have launched our year-long celebration of 20 years of service learning,” adds Merry.

Although many schools at all levels currently include community service and service learning in their curriculums, this was not the case in 1986. “Back then, taking elementary students into their communities, especially in urban cities, was unheard of,” says Love Weinstock, St. Paul’s School’s Director of Service Learning. “But St. Paul’s unique mission of being a school in, of, and for the community encouraged us to take that leap as an essential educational tool.”

Throughout the 2006-2007 school year, St. Paul’s School will celebrate twenty years of combining action in the community with academic instruction and personal reflection with special activities in addition to the dozens of projects that the students conduct in class.

On Monday, November 1, 2006, St. Paul’s School faculty, staff, and administration will conduct A Day of Community Service as the featured activity of the annual Professional Day. The day will begin and conclude with a study of St. Paul’s School's program and its fundamental contribution to the high quality academic instruction of the School. From 10:00 a.m. to noon, the faculty will divide into small groups to go out into the community, particularly focusing on service sites where the students perform their community service.

Other scheduled events schedule include a holiday gift for the homeless collaboration with St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, a planting project with the City of Oakland, and an all-school spring service event.

For more information, on St. Paul's School's Service Learning Program, please contact Love Weinstock at 510.285.9683.