At our first ever school-wide Service Weekend, Dwight's community gathered in full force to bring to life the IB's commitment to service, creativity, and action. Over the course of 48 hours, volunteers gave their time and energy to help our neighbors and fellow New Yorkers, while deepening connections to one another — and having a bit of fun, too! 

Spearheading the weekend initiative was Kate Zolotkovsky, Director of Service Learning, who shared, "It was beautiful to see our entire community come together and roll up their sleeves. We had Lower School students working side by side with Middle and Upper School students, parents working together with teachers ... every corner of our community was represented and everyone made hands-on contributions."

In the lead-up to weekend, students heard from, and were inspired by, speakers from Dwight's partner organizations: 

• Goddard Riverside Community Center, serving 17,000 people annually through 26 programs based on the Upper West Side
• The New York Common Pantry, which is dedicated to reducing hunger throughout New York City while promoting dignity and self-sufficiency
• The New York Blood Center, providing lifesaving blood products to nearly 200 hospitals in the Greater New York area
• Publicolor, a youth development program that engages high-risk students in their education through design-based mentorship programs

The two-day event kicked off on Saturday as volunteers teamed up with Publicolor students to help transform an underserved public school, IS 254 Bronx Middle School, where they painted and discussed education and career choices. Sunday was chock-full of activity, as Dwight's community members: delivered meals to homebound neighbors with Goddard Riverside; made 200 brown bag lunches and toiletry kits for distribution through the New York Common Pantry; donated blood to the New York Blood Center; and gathered with Dwight's own Art Department to explore and recognize the values and traditions of other cultures, using art as a message of acceptance and tolerance, and to create mosaic-inspired tiles and  imitation stained glass panels. 

Before the weekend came to a close, volunteers convened for a party in the large gym. Many shared their experiences with one another and the positive energy was palpable. Ms. Zolotkovsky found deep meaning in local efforts and reflected, "It can be hard when there are so many serious challenges facing the world at home and abroad. Doing any one activity can feel small or that it isn't effecting change fast enough. I absolutely believe that by acting locally, working together, and bringing this practice into our regular routine, we are contributing. When adding all of these acts together, we can achieve something big."

Indeed, together, we did contribute to the greater good — and the school-wide spirit of service that was sparked will continue in the year months and years ahead.