SPEF Program Concludes with Service Project at Davenport Ridge

STAMFORD, CT - As the Stamford Public Education Foundation (SPEF)’s Service-Learning mentoring sessions came to an end for the year, approximately 110 fourth grade students from Davenport Ridge Elementary School gathered for a culminating community-service project on Monday, April 23rd. Their mentors, from J.M. Wright Technical High School, constructed a tool shed for Davenport Ridge’s outdoor classroom. Then, on Monday, mentors and mentees decorated the tool shed with creative fingerprint art.

When asked about the service project, SPEF Program Coordinator Regan Allan shared, “It’s very rare to be able to pair older students with younger students… to have them be a mentor for the kids and a role model in such a meaningful way, talking about community service.”

This was a culminating project for SPEF’s Service-Learning program, which is an acclaimed education strategy that integrates meaningful community service with instruction and reflection to enrich the classroom experience, teach civic responsibility, and strengthen communities. During weekly mentoring sessions, mentors and mentees discuss topics related to Service-Learning and the program concludes with community service projects such as stocking shelves at the Food Bank or cleaning up school playgrounds and parks. This program is part of SPEF’s nationally-recognized Stamford Mentoring Program, which served over 900 students in grades 3 – 12 this school year.

About SPEF: Founded in 1996, the mission of the Stamford Public Education Foundation (SPEF) is to deliver educational programs and resources that elevate student, educator, and parent success by bridging the gap between needs in the Stamford Public Schools and resources in our community. The Foundation strives to enable each and every student in the Stamford Public Schools to graduate high school and enter college, career training, or fulltime employment ready to succeed. For further information, visit www.spefct.org.