Teaching civic literacy, promoting civic engagement, and developing social entrepreneurs are key aspects of The James Center.
A significant portion of our graduates seek careers and/or meaningful unpaid roles serving the public good. We seek to expand our efforts and to develop a true Service Learning curriculum that promotes study and action related to understanding and influencing public policy. The James Center also encompasses Service League and all student service organizations; the Jenkins Fellows for international service program; the Middle Grades Partnership (which partners GFS with two local public middle schools to offer academic enrichment for economically disadvantaged students during the summer and school year); the connection with the Baltimore Leadership School for Young Women; and the GFS Habitat for Humanity house and many other urban outreach efforts. Initiatives include:
9th Grade Service Learning Project
As part of their regular curriculum the 9th graders have evaluated their own learning/reading styles and developed tutoring skills. They are now providing regularly scheduled reading support to elementary school children with reading challenges at an overcrowded county school in Owings Mills. These experiences inform them in a hands on, real life way. When they return to the classroom to evaluate their texts, they are able to coalesce their experiences as learners and teachers. This is a pilot program by the English Department as a potential model for other departments.
The Jenkins Fellows, students who immerse themselves in GFS-funded summer service here and around the globe, are sponsored by an array of organizations, including:
- Hands Across the Americas (Peru)
- God’s Economy (Malawi)
- Putney Student Travel (Senegal)
- Landmark Volunteers (Chappaqua, New York)
- Cosmic Volunteers (Ghana)
- American Jewish World Service (Honduras)
- House of Ruth Maryland (Baltimore, Maryland)
- Projects Abroad (Romania & Moldova)
- Camp Civitas (Williams, AZ)
- Casa Rosada (Dominican Republic)
- L’Ecole Maternelle Sidi N’Diaye (Senegal)
- Baltimore Student Congress of Service
- Baltimore Humane Society
- Donald Bentley Food Pantry
- Candygrams
- Empty Bowls
- Equine Service Club
- Global Philanthropy
- G.R.E.E.N.
- Invisible Children
- Jeans for Teens
- Lijiang Ethnic Orphan School (China): As part of service learning and cultural exchange GFS students have done 2 service trips to the orphans school and Lijiang has visited GFS. A number of GFS students have applied their experiences on these trips in their Chinese language classes.
- Kids Who Care Camp
- Micro-Loan Project
- My Sister's Circle
- My Sister’s Place
- Our Daily Bread
- Paul’s Place
- Pencils of Promise
- Rebuilding Baltimore
- Red Cross Blood Drive
- Ruth’s Closet (House of Ruth)
- Sinai Hospital
- Women for Afghan Women
- And other organizations assisted by GFS divisions