November 28, 2025 - Service Learning Blog

Focus on Middle School

By: Nick Sturmey (Service Learning Coordinator)

One of the goals for this year’s service learning program was to get more middle school students involved. I have worked with middle school students as a social studies teacher, a football coach, and in service learning projects, and I knew that they would bring curiosity, enthusiasm, and positive energy to service learning projects. This year, we have middle school students contributing to and leading a variety of projects, ranging from the Chinthe Media to the Community Kitchen.This article highlights three middle school students who are making important contributions to ISY’s service learning program. Of course, there are many more students doing amazing work.

Aindra is in grade 7. Her passion is writing, so, of course, she is a member of this service-learning blog; you may have seen some of her articles published earlier this year. She is also a member of the Global magazine group. Through her research and experiences in various service learning projects, Aindra has learned about the real world.

She said, “I learned that not everyone has a chance to thrive, and doing acts of service could change that.” She added that she is now even more grateful for what she has. In addition, Aindra has developed more confidence to speak to people. 

Aiden is in grade 8. He is the student leader of the MS Green Initiative and he is a member of the Chinthe Fund. As if that wasn’t enough, Aiden is also a member of our Service Learning Blog team. Aiden is passionate about environmental issues, and he has taken the opportunity to raise awareness and find solutions to the problems facing our planet.

He has also learned the importance of working as a team, saying that “we need more people to contribute.” Aiden also pointed out that he “started to realize that service learning is fun.” Yay!

May Moe is in grade 8. You may know her as the president of the MS Student Council, but she is also a member of MCHP and this Service Learning Blog. May Moe states that working with children at local orphanages has given her the opportunity to support them but also to “understand different people’s situations.”

She has also learned that “teamwork, understanding, and listening to others are important when trying to solve problems.”

I hope that after reading this article, you will share my immense pride that ISY’s students are indeed compassionate global citizens who are a force for positive change in the world. I also hope it is clear that service learning can bring benefits not only to the partners we work with but also to the ISY students involved. If you’re a middle school student and you want to join a service learning group, go for it. You will learn about yourself, the world, and your place in it.