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Prep Community Embraces, Supports Homeless Shelter

An “army” of Prep students, teachers, parents, athletic teams, clubs and activity groups last week ran the Interfaith Homeless Shelter, serving food and checking in guests.  The adoption of the Shelter for a week started last year as a student-led project among the junior class to address the problems of homelessness and hunger in Santa Fe and has blossomed into a commitment embraced by the broader Prep community.

Teams of students manned the shelter for seven nights beginning last Sunday.  Other teams sought food donations and prepared meals for delivery to Shelter guests.

Community service is a critical component of the Prep curriculum and is based on a developmental model.  Seventh graders as a class learn about recycling and manage the campus recycling program; 8th – 10th grade students choose different programs to volunteer in around the community, such as the Animal Shelter, tutoring in the public schools and cooking meals at St. Elizabeth’s Shelter; juniors, working in small, collaborative groups, are asked to identify areas of need in the community and to devise plans and programs to address those needs; seniors develop t heir own individual community service projects, from local to global.