Franklin, MA- The Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) is excited to announce members of Hingham High School as the winner of the second half of the 2021-2022 MIAA Community Service Challenge! Members of the MIAA Student Advisory Committee reviewed 123 incredible submissions before selecting the winner.

Over 250 students and adults participated in the annual “Harbormen Helping Hingham” community service day on April 14, 2022, which was coordinated by Hingham High School History Teacher, Ben Louchheim. The projects varied from cleaning up the beach area at Barnes Wharf, to weeding, cleaning out the animal stalls and helping with the herb garden at Weir River Farm.

Other activities seniors participated in included weeding, planting, and mulching at Plymouth River, Foster, and East School gardens; composting and weeding at Holly Hill Farm; helping to revamp the Hingham Historical Society’s archives and other efforts; removing, replacing, and installing metal grave markers in several area cemeteries in preparation for Memorial Day; writing and filming public service announcements for Hingham CARES about making healthy choices; a Spring cleanup at South School; cleaning up the Hingham High School courtyards and painting benches, putting out silverware and utensils for lunch,  and cleaning out and sorting sports equipment, among other jobs; helping with the Hingham High School composting effort; assisting with a workshop for Greek essay topics at the Middle School; spreading mulch around the Recreation Department barn; performing a Spring cleanup on the tunnel cap in downtown Hingham, including raking, trimming and mulching — working  with the Hingham Downtown Association; spreading wood chips around the Bradley Woods playground; and  serving as teacher’s assistants for the day, which involved 75 to 80 of the seniors.

Hingham High School Principal, Rick Swanson reflected on the magnitude of this service project. “When I spoke to our seniors at their graduation ceremony, I talked about how our school strives not only to help students understand the world, but, even more importantly, we hope to inspire them to improve the world.  The annual ‘Harbormen Helping Hingham’ project illustrates that mission as well as anything we do. Thanks to effective leadership from a visionary teacher, broad support from many community partners, and the enthusiastic participation of our whole senior class, this event has become a model, every spring, of what our school aims to achieve year round.”

Ben Louchheim, who is a teacher and the event organizer stated, “This project gives students a feeling of empowerment. It shows a community’s care and desire to improve their town. It also shows the “nooks and crannies” of wonder in Hingham. Such as the Hingham Historical Society or the cemeteries of fallen soldiers who we put up flags for Memorial Day.”

Louchheim continued, “Students also get to say thank you in various ways, such as being a teacher’s assistant for the day for their favorite teacher or helping clean up the playground of their former elementary school. Seniors get to work with students who would not be their first choice and get to know them differently. They also meet community members who are the lifeblood of this town. Students get to see, feel and hear the difference they made. It is a rewarding experience.”

Click here to review the full write-up.

The MIAA is grateful for the continued partnership with Team Up 4 Community (TU4C) that began in March 2021.  The partnership encourages schools to submit their projects online providing sports teams the opportunity to showcase community service projects, demonstrating their commitment and impact on the community.

A total of 284 community service projects were submitted between August and May of this school year. With 11,555 student-athletes participating in some type of community service project. In total, $257,788 was raised for charitable causes with 44,332 hours donated by MIAA student-athletes, with an estimated value of $374,605 in time served. Incredible acts of service and leadership on display throughout the year!

A presentations of this award will take place at Hingham High School on Friday, June 24, 2022.

Please be reminded that the 2022-23 service challenge will begin next August!

Thank you to all MIAA member schools and student-athletes who participated in this years’ service challenge. To view all projects submitted, click here.

Rushmore Avenue School students participated in a read-a-thon to give back to their community. After raising more than $10,000, they helped open the first Little Free Library, which is accessible to all within the Carle Place community. 

The project came to fruition thanks to ENL specialist Jennifer Dintino, who noticed little libraries in her own home community. She partnered with school librarian Marni Nelson and math interventionist Kacey Maher to bring the same joy to her school community.  

“These educators challenged the students to participate in a read-a-thon and ask their families and friends to support their efforts,” Principal Cathy Silletti said. “The results were amazing. Countless hours were logged, and funds were raised.”  

In addition to the Little Library, the money that the students raised will be used to purchase books to stock the library, as well as expand the selection of books in the Rushmore school library. 

 

Photo caption: Rushmore Avenue School students participated in a read-a-thon to give back to their community.

 

Photos courtesy of Carle Place School District

Fourth and fifth grade students at Frank P. Long Intermediate School were celebrated by UNICEF during a virtual assembly on June 23 for working to bring awareness to the water crisis in Ukraine.

The students researched the crisis that has affected nearly 2.9 million children and refugees and took action by inaugurating an annual fundraiser.

To date, Patricia Gallina and Dusty Deery’s students have raised $345 through donations for the cause. All of the money will be donated to UNICEF to bring safe drinking water to the children of Ukraine. 

This was a problem-based Learning collaborative experience with Director of Humanities, Jackie O’Hagan.

 

Photo caption: Fourth and fifth grade students at Frank P. Long Intermediate School were celebrated by UNICEF during a virtual assembly on June 23 for working to bring awareness to the water crisis in Ukraine.

  

Photo courtesy of the South Country Central School District

The National Junior Honor Society at Oakdale-Bohemia Middle School in the Connetquot Central School District raised $3,500 this school year for two important charities. Money raised will benefit St. Joseph’s Indian School in South Dakota and to provide lifesaving emergency aid to Ukraine families and refugees through the international organization CARE.

 

Photo courtesy of the Connetquot Central School District

Students, staff and their families from Manetuck Elementary School in the West Islip School District gathered at Robert Moses State Park on June 21 as their adopted seal was released back into the water.

Manetuck Elementary School named their adopted seal Williams, after their principal. When he was rescued in Montauk on April 24, he was found entangled in netting. Williams, who weighs 90 pounds, was taken to New York Marine Rescue Center in Riverhead, a nonprofit organization.

Thanks to the efforts of the students of Manteuck and the school’s community service club, more than $5,000 was raised to help Williams rehabilitate back to health. The school has been working with the New York Marine Rescue Center for the past 17 years, raising more than $50,000 for the organization. The three students who raised the most money helped to open Williams’ enclosure as he made his back to the Long Island waters.

 

Photo caption: Students, staff and their families from Manetuck Elementary School in the West Islip School District gathered at Robert Moses State Park on June 21 as their adopted seal was released back into the water.

 

Photos courtesy of West Islip School District