Service Day in the States

I don’t know if you’ve followed the Barack Obama rise to victory, but just a day before his inauguration next week he will volunteer with his wife Michelle in Washington, helping out in the community as part of the national day of service. On January 19th, Obama is calling for people across America to take part in their local communities to commemorate Martin Luther King Jr’s life. Michelle Obama says “this is a day when we honour a man who lived his life in service to others and showed us what we can accomplish when we stand together”. 

“It will take ordinary citizens working together with a common purpose to get this country back on track. This national day of service is an important first step in our continuing commitment. Whatever service activity you organise or take part in - cleaning up a park, giving blood, volunteering at a homeless shelter or mentoring an at-risk youth - you can help start this important journey.”

What would a national day of service look like in your school?...maybe we should be inspired by the future leader of America and think about empowering our young people to be the change - not just for the future but for now, to show them what it means to serve others and to stand to together to accomplish greatness. I was in school today chatting with some year 11 girls about what they wanted to see happen this year (being the new year an’ all) and we ended up in a great conversation about responsibility… they concluded that actually if they wanted to see things improve in the school it wasn’t going to be anything the teachers did or didn’t do, it came down to them making and being the difference!

TAGS: change, social action, service, responsibility