Seventh grader Neely Thompson stood in front of the nearly 30 professionals serving on the MIFA Board of Directors and confidently talked about food insecurity. If she was nervous, it didn’t show.
Katie Piper ’28 shared with conviction ways students can take action to alleviate poverty in Memphis.
Kate Wexler ’28 assuredly talked about how she plans to serve the community because of what she learned at school.
With poise, Lyla Furlong ’28 demonstrated how volunteering can give students a sense of purpose.
These four Middle School students were invited to MIFA to share the impact of the organization’s partnership with St. Mary’s through the Community Connections course.
Every 7th grade student takes Community Connections, a quarter-long service class designed to help students understand the needs of their community, grow compassion and empathy, and develop as leaders.
The adults in the room were impressed.
“Our board was absolutely astounded by our partnership and the girls’ experiences,” said Anna Kathryn Word, MIFA’s Chief Development Officer. “The board was so enthusiastic and immediately wanted to know how they could help—one offered to provide a poverty needs assessment and present it to the class, and another offered data maps and budgeting curriculum.”
During their 7th grade year, girls rotate through a series of four quarter-long classes—the Community Connections course, financial literacy, art, and world religion.
“The 7th grade curriculum was designed to help the girls step out of their own bubbles. The year of 7th grade can be hard; the classes give girls a moment to get outside of their heads and see the world around them. This series also helps girls as they begin to discover their individual potential and talents,” Middle School Head Katherine House said.
Service has long been part of the curriculum in the Middle School. House and Counselor Andrea Peredo decided to redesign the program two years ago to focus on working with a long-term partner, so both the nonprofit and the students would benefit from the experience.
“My feeling was that we were quite the burden on the people we were trying to serve,” House said. “They had to come up with things for us to do. The goal is to ask a local nonprofit what they need and what we can do. Our partnership with MIFA has been a wonderful experience that has given girls a peek at Memphis, the issues that face our city, and how they can help.”
The course syllabus, built with MIFA’s guidance, includes acknowledging the complexity of stereotypes and bias, Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, and types of services and nonprofits. Leaders from MIFA come to the class to talk about Meals on Wheels and other emergency assistance programs for families.
“Our conversations with the students have raised important questions about poverty, homelessness, hunger, and the trauma and bureaucracy of poverty,” Word said. “At the end of each session, we were able to remind the students that they are the next generation of volunteers and donors—and that they will be able to influence policy and actions that will help the next generation thrive.”
The students also plan and implement a service project in collaboration with MIFA. These projects have included making birthday bags for seniors, delivering and packing meals, and organizing sock drives.“It’s amazing to watch our girls step up as leaders after the presentations from MIFA,” Peredo said. “Once they are aware of the needs in our community, they want to be part of the solution.”
“During our work at MIFA, my classmates and I learned the value of teamwork and cooperation. We would have never completed the number of boxes that we did without working together. The same could also be said for service on a larger scale. I have learned that much more could be done with a foundation of collaboration and partnership." Lyla Furlong ’28 shared with the MIFA Board of Directors
- Middle School
