Learning Ally aims to help people who learn in different ways. In addition to audio books, Learning Ally also provides iPhone Apps. Liz was first introduced to the organization through her brother David who has dyslexia, a brain disorder that switches symbols and letters making reading difficult. Through the use of audio books, David was able to read his school books more quickly and efficiently.

Liz was so inspired by how much Learning Ally helped her brother that she sought out to help other kids like David by volunteering there as her independent site.

When did you first decide you wanted to be a SAL?

Well my sister was a SAL and she was a senior in 2006. So I had been thinking about it when I was going into High School, but I hadn’t seriously thought about it until my mom actually suggested that I look into it. I remember my SALs from when I was a freshman and I loved them, they were great. And they were really good role models for me. It was nice coming in freshman year and feeling like I had a connection with seniors, who just seemed so much cooler, so much bigger, and so much more knowledgeable about life. Even though there just four years older they just seemed like adults and I really value that. I just really liked the whole experience of Social Action.

Why did you choose poverty and homelessness?

I was really open to doing any of the rotations, and honestly it just happened that Ms. Key said that I’d be doing poverty and homelessness. I was like “Well I’ll jump into it and figure it out and plan it the best I can,” I wanted to learn, and I knew going into it that whatever rotation I was doing that I would be learning a lot. I thought it was a topic that would be important to learn about.

What is your site that you take the freshman too and how did you find it?

I go to Community Vision and it’s a partner with Shepherd’s Table. It was an interesting process of finding a site because there were places I was looking into with kids or something like that; but they didn’t always want high school students particularly freshman, because there so young and they didn’t have a lot of experience I guess. So I was desperately thinking of site to go and I remembered Shepherd’s Table and the girl who was the SAL last year for poverty and homelessness, I think she did the clothing closet at Shepherd’s Table, so I had the contact number and I called them. I thought I was actually calling Shepherd’s Table, but in fact I was calling Community Vision, by accident. But it worked out great. I met with the volunteer coordinator whose name is Sandra Miller and she has been so helpful and so great at accommodating. And after meeting with her it clicked and I just knew that I wanted to go there with my group.

If there were something you could change about the Social Action Program what would it be?

I don’t know how exactly this would be possible. O.K. 2 things: I would love to see us doing it every week. I remember as a junior I was going to my site and I was working with little kids, and you still build that connection going every other week, but it’s not the same as going every week. They kind of forget you a little bit. I think it would be great if we could go every week, I’m not exactly sure how we would do that. Also I would love if we could do something over the summer, like if we could keep the experience going. It is really valuable to be able to do service in your community. I think it makes you see a part of your community that you’re not aware about. At least for me, I wasn’t aware about the extent to which poverty and homelessness existed in Montgomery County, in Maryland, in the U.S. I think it’d be great to do it over the summer. So it’s not just like “OK, I’m going to the beach and having fun!” Which is great, but you keep more awareness of things that are more important in life, like helping others and trying to make a difference in the world. I think that’s really important.

What is the most important world issue that we need to face?

I think maybe the most important issue is just a lack of concern, just in general. It’s really easy to just be aware of your tight community, what’s going on with your friend, what’s going on with your family. And not be aware of what could be happening to your neighbor, that’s just someone that you don’t talk to or that you don’t see. I think people want to help ultimately, but it can be hard to figure out a way to help. So maybe it’s actually more of a problem of maintaining balance in your life. Realizing that it is important to be aware of what is going on in your world and not just the world as in what going on in another continent, but what’s going on in your neighborhood. There’s a lot, in Montgomery County, for example, a lot of poverty and homelessness in this area, there are a lot of problems that we should be aware about, but we’re thinking about all the other things that we’re thinking of doing and it makes sense that were worried about now with us.

If you were an animal what would you be?

I think I would be a bird, cause birds can fly and I would love to fly. Maybe like nice bird, a pretty bird, or a parrot. Because they’re colorful and they talk to you and they’re friendly and I think I’m colorful, but not an obnoxious parrot.

Each week I went to a new site and had the amazing opportunity to learn about unique projects, and see 4th Academic students engaged in something they loved. These students proposed their own ways of service at the beginning of the year and then every other Wednesday coordinated their own ways of helping out. This included Katie Tehan (’12) helping out at the DC Aquarium, Vivian Spies (’12) translating at a medical center, and Liz Master (’12) recording audio books.

What made my assignment so engaging was finding the personal stories behind the sites. Often the students choose to volunteer at their independent site for very special reasons, such as a childhood passion, or family relative that worked with the organization. Spending time with students who were so passionate and interested about giving back was amazing to watch and capture on film. The entire process was so rewarding and I hope you all enjoy the website!

The horses at Days End Farm come from animal control and humane agencies all over Maryland and nearby counties. Some are willingly given up while others are taken away from life threatening situations, such as neglect and abuse, which then turn into court cases. A special service that they provide for court cases is horse advocacy. Days End Farm documents the status of every horse that comes under their care, by taking pictures and collecting health information par arrival, throughout the rehabilitation process, and afterwards. This service has helped many rescued horses and improved horse protection laws.

When a horse is being impounded, Days End staff and volunteers will go and help transport the horse to a safe facility. Upon arrival the horse will be taken to their Critical Care Unit and Extended Care Program. The horses could have suffered anything from starvation and malnutrition to untended wounds and deformities. After the horses have been rehabilitated and the court cases are finished, the horses will then be evaluated and trained with the hope of becoming adopted. Once they’ve completed this task, the staff and volunteers work to find them a permanent home. Days End has been extremely successful in their search for homes with a 94% adaptation rate.

Of course, Days End Farm does a lot to help horses in need, but they also receive a lot of help from the community. A few of their programs that are open to the community include an internship program with hands on experience, cruelty investigator training, large animal rescue training, basic horse care clinic and more. Another service that Days End Farm offers is a disaster and emergency service. After a natural disaster or in any emergency situation they will go and rescue any large animal for no cost at all. In order to do this education is important. They also offer educational opportunities to familiarize the community with the farm and the horse, with farm tours, classes and clinic programs, lots of volunteer opportunities, and something called “Share a Heart” Lecture, in which they’ll go to schools and talk about Days End, their horses, and the type of work they do.

One of our very own Stone Ridge sisters, Rachel Enger ’12, is a volunteer every Social Action Wednesday.

Want to help Days End Farm? Here are some ways you can help: organize a fundraiser, donate horse feed, hay, or straw, become a volunteer, or donate office and building supplies. For more information please visit the Days End Farm website.

Why did you want to be a SAL?

I wanted to be a SAL because I had a great experience in the disabilities rotation my freshman year. I also I have a younger brother with down syndrome so I’ve grown up around disabilities and around the whole mentality of people being equal and no different from the rest of us. I really wanted to get that across to the freshman.

What is the site that you take your freshman to?

Carl Sandberg Elementary School in Rockville. It’s a school for kids with disabilities.

How did you end up choosing that site?

Well I think that some of the juniors and seniors go there every week anyway, so the school already has a partnership with them. It was also the same site that the SAL used last year so she referred them to me.

What do you think is the hardest thing about being a SAL?

The hardest thing is probably coming prepared every other Wednesday and knowing that you have to be on the ball and ready to go.

If there was something you could change about the Social Action Program, what would you change?

I don’t know. I remember myself as a freshman, loving it, but thinking or wishing that I had some more hands on experience. So probably more and better field trips freshman year that give the girls more hands on experience.

What do you think is the most important world issue that we face today?

I think probably the issue of equality in all types of areas like gender, race, disabilities or ability any issue like that.

If you were an animal what would you be?

If I were an animal, I’d probably be a dolphin because I love the ocean and the beach.

Daily activities for Caroline include sorting words in chapters, so that kids learn the meaning of hard words, as well as grading tests and helping students with math problems. Caroline also decorates classrooms for holidays in order to create an exciting and festive atmosphere for the kids.

Caroline, who went to De Chantal for elementary and middle school, says that she remembers having Stone Ridge high students come and help out when she was younger. So, when the time came for Caroline to choose her Social Action site, it was a logical and easy choice for her to return back to her old school. Caroline’s younger sister still attends De Chantal, and Caroline says that it is great to see all of her old teachers and reconnect with them.

An experience that has resonated with Caroline was with one girl in the second grade who moved to Bethesda from France and struggles with English. Not knowing how to ask for help in her math class, the girl came to Caroline in the Resource center for one-on-one attention almost every day until she finally understood all of her math questions. Now, she does not come to the Resource center as much, which Caroline misses. However, Caroline knows it is a good sign because it means that she has helped the girl understand math and is doing much better in the subject.

One great thing Caroline notes about going to De Chantal is its proximity to Stone Ridge. “It is so close!” she says. Last year, Caroline worked at DC Prep, and one of the problems she faced was that she never felt like she could spend that much time with the kids because of the long commute. However, De Chantal is only two minutes away from Stone Ridge, and Caroline can spend pretty much the entire day helping out.

Looking ahead, Caroline, knowing that she wants to work with kids in some capacity, hopes to become a teacher.

Bikes for the World is a non-profit organization that collects bicycles to donate to organizations in foreign countries. Then, they are distributed to those with the most need. Charlotte Davidsen ’12, Elizabeth Burdett ’12, and history teacher Mr. Woodard, are three Stone Ridge volunteers that help out at the organization’s King Farm Farmstead location in Rockville, MD for Social Action.

Early one fall Wednesday morning, the three were joined by three other volunteers at the site to load a large shipping container with bikes that would be sent to Guatemala. The dedicated volunteers made countless trips carrying heavy bicycles to and from the storage barn and the shipping container.

In addition to the several volunteers who work on site, much help is contributed from members throughout the community. 70-80 bikes are collected a day from a combination of donations, the 80 bike shops the organization works with, and transfer shops. Collection projects set up by boy scouts and other volunteer groups have also contributed to the numerous bicycles that fill the storage space to be eventually in the possession of someone in need in a foreign country. In total, about 10,000 bikes were sent by the non-profit in 2011, and about 9,000 in 2010.

Mr. Woodard acclaims Bikes for the World as a “well-organized organization” for completing its mission, which is to recycle bicycles and make them available to people all over the world who really need them instead of leaving the bikes to occupy a landfill. He says “I really get the feeling that my labor is a directly positive impact that ramifies across the whole world, partly because the organization does such a good job from this point with organizing, packing, and distributing the bikes.”

Charlotte’s interest in the organization sparked when Stone Ridge invited a guest last spring who spoke about the organization. She enjoys volunteering at Bikes for the World because she can “actually use [her] hands and feel like [she’s] truly making a difference. Each bike actually changes someone’s life, and it’s something we can do ourselves and see the impact of.”

Elizabeth chose Bikes for the World as her Social Action site for similar reasons, and to also be able to help the economy of other countries. Additionally, since the 7th grade, she has always had an interest in bikes, how to fix them and how to use them, and Bikes For the World gives her the opportunity to utilize her interest for the greater good.

A simple interest like Elizabeth’s in something like bicycles can go a long way. Because of their numerous donations and dedicated volunteers, Bikes for the World has made transportation easier for people in need across the globe. Nurses are now able to give medical care to more of the sick, and children’s journeys to and from school have decreased in time, allowing more for play and helping their families.

Feeling impelled to act?
Visit www.bikesfortheworld.org to learn how you can donate your bicycles or volunteer on site.

You need to upgrade your Flash Player

Photos by Liz C. and Iana K.

The five Sacred Heart goals are essential to education at Stone Ridge. These goals are incorporated into our education on the first day of school and are often carried out throughout the year. However, Goal Three of the Sacred Heart, a “social awareness which impels to action,” is something that the Upper School really takes pride in. It is harder for the Middle School and Lower School students participate in community service activities due to age restrictions, but they are anxiously awaiting their chance to be a part of the Social Action Program.

Social Action, although it is something that the Upper School does, affects the whole school from the students who go out and help those less fortunate or to the younger ones who aren’t even apart of the program. Since the Middle School will be participating in the Social Action Program in a few years time, I interviewed a few Middle School students during Study Hall one day. I asked them a few questions about their take on the Social Action Program and what types of service activities they would like to do once they are in the Upper School. From these responses, it seems that the Middle Schoolers are anxiously waiting to be a part of Social Action.