MS Parker Partners Celebrates Successful Year

Parker strives to educate students and help them grow both inside the classroom and beyond. Faculty dedicate themselves to the growth and development of the whole person to create responsible citizens and leaders. One example of this dedication is the Middle School Parker Partners program.

The program gives students the opportunity to learn about their community outside the school setting. The goal is for students to move beyond the familiar, explore new situations and interact with a variety of people with open minds and hearts. Recently, the MS gathered to celebrate an incredibly successful year.

In total, 191 students completed nearly 15 hours of community immersion with 14 partners, with the supervision of 26 faculty and staff members. Participating organizations were Breakthrough, Chicago Children’s Museum, Chicago Furniture Bank, CJE Senior Life, El Valor, Friendship Center, Humble Design, Little Free Libraries, Night Ministry, Random Acts, Story Pirates and Student Council. During the gathering, representatives from each Parker Partners group shared more about their partner, the organization’s work and the impact of this experience on the students and those they helped.

Through exposure to the outside community, Parker Partners gives students an engaging cross-grade experience that provides agency and realization that their thoughtfulness, actions and work make a difference for others outside the confines of the classroom and that they, too, can learn and benefit from interacting with others. As such, Parker Partners is a vital part of the Middle School curriculum, and these students were thrilled to share their experience with their peers.

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