This summer, Gardiner School students participated in a new service learning program titled “BCNY Giving Back.”
Each grade level was given a specific project that required students to volunteer some of their free time to give back to either Camp Cromwell or their local community.
>Sixth graders were involved in an art project to beautify an area of Camp Cromwell that they determined needed decoration. They selected the lower pool area and designed and painted a large mural around the BCNY core values of “CARING, CIVILITY, COMMUNITY, CHARACTER.” The mural was unveiled at the Gardiner School graduation ceremony and will be hung next summer at the pool for all to enjoy.
Seventh graders made several camp facility improvements by sanding and painting benches, preparing flower planters to make the cabins more inviting, and creating a new garden area near the dining hall flagpole. At the end of the season, students attended a flag dedication ceremony where an impromptu singing of the national anthem brought tears to more than one eye. A new flag was presented and raised as the boys shared reflections of their summer Service Learning experiences( see photo.) Camp Cromwell is certainly a more beautiful place after the summer of 2011!
Eighth grade students participated in a project that involved partnering with the Somerset Hills YMCA to share a day of fun at Camp Cromwell with 20 local homeless veterans who live at the Lyons Veterans Administration Hospital. This special day included lunch, team building activities, and an afternoon of recreational sports and games. GS students prepared for the day by writing cards of appreciation for the veterans and preparing "care packages" filled with personal care items donated by many BCNY families from New York and New Jersey. There were so many items donated that we were able to send 50 additional care packages to veterans who were unable to attend this event.
While all the 2011 Gardiner School Service Learning projects were important, something magical happened that day with the veterans. BCNY staff felt that many of the students began to truly understand the gift of outreach, giving of oneself, and putting others first.
As the day came to an end, students read poems they had previously researched and dedicated to the men and women who serve our country.
Given the overwhelming positive sentiment and success of this project, plans are underway to continue the Veterans Project (collecting personal care items and a day of sharing) at the BCNY Clubhouses and to hold a BCNY Veterans Event on Veterans Day - 11/11/11.
