At the Cumorah Academy, we focus not only on achieving academic success but also on nurturing values such as kindness, compassion, and service to the community. That’s why our students partake in various socially oriented activities aka our service project: such as cleaning, gardening, planting trees, and more every semester. This time, they learned how to give back, cooperate and be a leader in the community by helping to take care of the orchards. Read more about their experience below.
United by shared goals
Since spring is a time when taking care of the garden requires a lot of time and effort, our students were divided into several groups to do all the work quickly and efficiently. Each group was assigned its specific realm of accountability. For example, one team planted trees, and another — put landscape fabric to prevent weeds around the base of trees. Splitting into groups helped foster everyone’s involvement, demonstrating that the work results depend on each individual.
Service Project: Planting Trees and more
Working in the garden gave the students a profound sense of affiliation with something bigger than themselves. Just imagine, when they see freshly squeezed juice in the dining room, they will remember that they had a hand in planting and tidying up the garden!
Service Project Testimonials
“My team and I planted trees.” shared Tania Khomenko, a Cumorah Academy student from Ukraine. “The entire experience was amazing, involving various processes. Not only did I enjoy it immensely, but it also brought us closer as a team, fostering trust and a stronger connection. Witnessing our shared goal come to life was truly inspiring. It filled me with a sense of accomplishment. Overall, this project taught me the power of unity, teamwork, and the impact we can make when we work together towards a common goal.”
Carla Santana, a student from Brazil, agreed to that. “Our participation in service projects brings many benefits. One is to help us develop a sense of belonging. We feel that we are needed and that we can contribute in some way. Otherwise, we can join forces with others to do much more than we could alone,» said Carla.
Being a leader today
At the academy, students can immediately apply the knowledge gained in lectures during projects like this. It just looks like they were just working in the garden when in fact they were able to improve their skills in time management, teamwork, negotiation, and much more! That’s because we are convinced that actions, not words, make our students the future leaders.
Impacts of the Service Project
«The social project is how to extrapolate all the knowledge on campus in real life. The project is the first step to finding value or the greatest to share or orient our personal goals to service human development. For the locals, we could be a piece of happiness or calm in their routine,» commented Vivian Bahamón Díaz, a student from Colombia.
“For me, participating in the service project is really important because it allows me to serve others, and it also helps me to create new relationships with my community or to be closer to them”, added Karen Ines Castillo Del Pozo, a student from Peru.
Conclusion
To conclude, volunteering holds immense significance in building a strong sense of belonging to the community and the desire to contribute to its prosperity. When our students take the initiative to serve through projects like gardening, it benefits the community and fosters personal growth and a sense of responsibility.
