St. George’s and Serve901: A New Partnership to Meet an Old Need

[Last night we sent a letter to the St. George’s Independent School community about a new, and I think, unprecedented partnership with Serve901 to share space and to create service learning experiences for our students. Serve 901 is an initiative of Memphis’s City Leadership, which also supports the vibrant and successful Choose901 campaign. I will let the press release below describe the relationship; however, it is worth noting here that I believe that this sort of partnership is exactly the direction great schools should be going to best underpin their academic, athletic and other co-currcular programming. We are not just seeking to graduate students who know things…we are seeking to graduate students who make something valuable from knowledge and experience. We are not just charged to graduate students headed toward successful professions…we wish for them, and the communities in which they will live and serve, engaged lives. In order to create this type of school, we want as an institution to focus on things greater than ourselves, so that our students will become people who live lives of contribution, meaning, and impact. Our partnership represents a new answer to meet an old need. Our city has always needed people ready to listen and to learn, ready to serve.]  FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEJanuary 29, 2016Contact: Sarah CowanSt. George’s Independent School901-261-2390 / cell: 901-494-4777 / scowan@sgis.orgSt. George’s and Serve901 Forge Unique Partnership Affiliation Provides Shared Space and ProgrammingMemphis, TN — St. George’s Independent School and City Leadership today announced an exclusive joint partnership to support service learning and community engagement in Memphis through collaboration with the Choose901campaign and Serve901 program. While the partnership is multi-faceted, the most visible aspect of the relationship will be newly renovated shared space at 815 N. Mclean Blvd. in the Vollintine/Evergreen neighborhood.Named the “St. George’s/Serve901 Bunkhouse,” the facility will include bunks for more than 100 people, as well as common areas. For Serve901, a program that curates service experiences with college students to understand and serve Memphis and logged 7248 volunteer hours from 434 participants in 2015, the space will enable program growth. St. George’s constituents will be able to use the facility for a variety of purposes including alumni events, meetings, or class, club or team retreats.“Both Serve901 and St. George’s need a place like the Bunkhouse, but neither organization would use it every day of the year. Creating this space together and sharing it is such a great investment of maximizing resources,” noted John Carroll, Executive Director of City Leadership.Equally significant, the affiliation will include a four-year programming partnership in which Serve901 staff will collaborate with SGIS faculty and students to create outstanding year-round learning experiences, from summer camps to “deep dive” leadership opportunities for middle and upper school students.“The partnership between St. George’s and Serve901 is a natural fit all around. With a long track record of being focused on things greater than ourselves alone and a commitment to preparing our students for college and life, we look forward to broadening our efforts to provide compelling service and leadership experiences for our students,” said Ross Peters, St. George’s Head of School. “Our collaboration with Serve901 is a manifestation of our desire to serve our students by showing them how they might serve our city.”About St. George’s Independent SchoolSt. George’s Independent School is a college preparatory school in the Episcopal tradition of education that is dedicated to the pursuit of excellence, preparing students for a life of learning and meaningful contribution in an inclusive learning community that nurtures outstanding academic achievement, relationships, leadership, and character reinforced by Judeo-Christian values.About City LeadershipCity Leadership exists to recruit, develop, & catalyze leaders for the benefit of the city of Memphis. City Leadership was founded in 2008 in order to maximize the leadership capital and potential of Memphis.About Serve901Serve901 curates service experiences with college students to understand and serve with Memphis.

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