Pandemic won’t deter virtual school students from giving

MINNEAPOLIS -- Each year the student council members at Minnesota Connections Academy perform several community service activities to support local charitable organizations. This enables the online school students, who come from all parts of the state, to come together and collaborate on a project to help others in need.

Emily Johnston, one of MNCA’s faculty advisors to the 36-member student council, said the school believes it is important to incorporate an element of service among its student council members. It builds empathy within the student community and provides another opportunity for students to work together.

“With this group, all it takes is the mention of helping our communities and they are on board,” Ms. Johnston said. “We do a lot of other events for the school purely to bring students together and have fun. But it's really these service events that define the student council.”

For the past seven years, the student council has included Face to Face among the community service organizations it will support during the school year. Face to Face provides comprehensive medical care, mental healthcare, housing support, case management, employment training and support, and other social services to low-income and insecurely housed youth ages 11 to 24 in Ramsey County. Last year Face to Face served more than 2,500 youth with the vast majority (85 percent) being people of color and 17 percent identifying as part of the LGBTQ+ community.

According to Ms. Johnston, in a typical year, the student council members will hold two in-person events to support Face to Face. Their “Winter Warm-up” event brings the students together at the MNCA learning center in St. Paul in their pajamas for a movie, hot cocoa bar and treats. The students bring with them coats, blankets, and other warm clothing donations for Face to Face. In the spring, the students collect personal care and food items to package and deliver to Face to Face during a field trip to the facility for an in-person tour.

Unfortunately, this year has been anything but typical as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to change everything -- but not the student’s desire to make a difference for others in the community.

Over the past month, the Minnesota Connections Academy student council members hosted its “Winter Warm-up Service Week'' that started with a virtual meeting bringing Face to Face Outreach Coordinators and students together to learn more about what the organization does and kick off the month-long GoFundMe effort. It was followed by an afternoon of card making for hospitalized children, and a winter layering contest and clothing drive. The student fundraiser through GoFundMe raised more than $1,200 for Face to Face.

According to Community Engagement Coordinator at Face to Face Mikaela Wolf, these activities not only give the students the opportunity to help others, but it gives them a better understanding of the impact each one of them can have on their community.

“We greatly appreciate the Minnesota Connections Academy community for supporting Face to Face,” Wolf said. “It is inspiring to see other young people take action to show that they care about their peers experiencing homelessness.”

Student Council members describe helping others:

Catrielle, a junior at Minnesota Connections Academy and member of student council, said she appreciates being part of a group of students who care about the school and the community.

“My favorite part about student council is our service events and our partnership with Face to Face,” Catrielle said. “This organization truly makes a difference in supporting students, young parents, and youth that are facing homelessness. I hope that each student can understand more about this organization and gain knowledge about helping others.”

Mar is also a junior and she enjoys the opportunity to work as a team to make our service projects work.

“Seeing everyone pitch in and being able to be a leader is so much fun and it's amazing to be a part of something,” Mar said. “It's super important to be active in these events because it gives you the opportunity to help others and learn things about small community organizations, like Face to Face. It's always a great feeling to contribute to something that helps others.”

Samantha, an eighth grader at Minnesota Connections Academy said being a member of the student council is a big responsibility but a great opportunity if you like leadership and utilizing your creativity to solve problems.

“Participating in events can be important for setting an example to other students to participate and to get new members in the future,” Samantha said.

For Sunny, a sophomore member of the student council, she believes her involvement enables her to be part of something that makes meaningful changes for her school and other students.

“What I love most about it is the people you meet,” she said. “It is also important to be a participant in our service week because we give students a chance to come together, have fun and make an impact.”

Jettsi, a freshman, said she enjoys being part of a group that enables her to contribute her time and energy to something that makes a difference.

“Being a SC member I'm able to help everyone to my fullest extent, it means that I can solve problems and make a difference,” she said. “Even better, I am part of a group of people standing beside me who are all working towards the same goal.”

Nymphaea, an eighth grader, also believes student council membership provides the opportunity to build the connection between the students and the school.

"Being a member of the student council, to me, means helping build better understanding and connection between the student body and staff, and it means helping to bring people together,” Nymphaea said. “I love planning events and coming up with creative ideas."