M-A’s Service Learning Center is introducing a new civic engagement class and the California State Seal of Civic Engagement this coming fall.

The new Community Service Leadership class is designed to strengthen service at M-A by devoting class time to develop service projects. The seal will be awarded to students who show exemplary commitment to service for their community.

“We think that more schools could have service learning,” SLC advisor and future Community Service Leadership teacher Andrew Stuart said. “It can do a lot of good for resilience, wellness, and connection—things that teenagers are struggling with.”

Currently, the SLC organizes service events at M-A. These events are often held outside of school and coordinated through weekly lunchtime meetings between Stuart and participating students, which can be limiting.

Some of the events put on this year include service days for water polo, football, basketball, and flag football, as well as Belle Haven community garden volunteering.

Courtesy Andrew Stuart M-A flag football team organizes food to be distributed at Ecumenical Hunger.

The Class:

Stuart hopes that creating a new service class will help further the SLC’s current programs. “The class gives us the space and the time to really think through what we’re doing,” Stuart said.

“We realized that a 30 minute lunchtime meeting every week isn’t enough,” junior Audrey Majzun, who is taking the class next year, said.

“It’s hard to have field trips off-campus to do service. This class will give us the resources to get creative about how to get more kids involved,” Stuart said.

Mazjun hopes that the class will provide a solid foundation for expanding service learning in the future. “If we have a class and people can get credit for their participation, it gives us more time for organizing events, formal education, and working on specific service learning projects,” Mazjun said.

Many students joining the class next year have already been heavily involved in service learning at M-A and will play an influential role in shaping the direction of the class. “I will guide the class, but there will be a student-led aspect of the class, just like Leadership,” Stuart said.

Stuart also hopes the class will improve outreach to other M-A students. “This class will integrate us into the school more,” Stuart said. “More and more kids are going to come up with projects that need assistance, so we need to meet the structure.”

In addition to hands-on planning time, the class will include discussion and research on ethics to help students make a more mindful impact. “To ‘do good well,’ you have to analyze what you’re doing, and make sure you’re doing it right and not causing harm,” Stuart said.

Courtesy Andrew Stuart Student volunteers reflect after a day of helping out at the Belle Haven community garden.

The Seal:

Students who take Community Service Leadership will be provided with support for obtaining the Civic Engagement Seal, though it is not limited to students in the class.

To receive the seal, students must meet a list of requirements—currently being finalized by the school board—including creating a meaningful service project.

Many students already have exciting ideas. “I’m really interested in education,” Mazjun said. “Something we had talked about this year is doing a service learning project with a local middle school.”

“My idea would be to have the middle schoolers do a project, educate them on their impact, and then connect it to the principles of ethical service learning, which is one of our core tenets,” Mazjun added. “It’s planting that seed.”

“I’ve made so many close relationships through service,” junior Brealyn Trujillo, who is taking the class next year, said. “I just want to continue that. It has a big impact on your life.”

Stuart hopes the seal will help bring service learning more recognition and create an incentive for students to participate. “Service learning is very underestimated,” Stuart said. “Colleges understand the power of service learning. Why can’t we deliver that curriculum in high school?”

Unlike many other local schools, M-A does not directly track service hours or provide awards for it. The Civic Engagement Seal will help bring more recognition to students who dedicate time and effort to service.

“With service, people sometimes don’t want to see a reward attached to doing this type of work. They want it to be all from the heart. But there can be some combination of both,” Stuart said.

“Connecting with people and doing something positive is what kids are really craving,” Stuart said. “And that’s why we get so many kids that want to do service.”