Students go "Into the Streets"

Photo by Tommy Leonardi

Sara Chan (W'02, right) helps University City High School students Gladisha Echevarria (center) and Darnell Harrison (bottom left) spruce up University City High School right across Market Street. They are a few of nearly 500 student volunteers who spent their first weekend of the new school year working in the community and across the city.

Part of a nationwide community-service orientation program, "Into the Streets" volunteers also cleaned up community gardens, school grounds and playgrounds, participated in recreational activities at nursing homes, removed graffiti from buildings and helped prepare for the annual AIDS walk.

This year for the first time, upperclassmen, not just freshmen, participated because the program served as the inaugural project for the college houses, which plan on-going partnerships with some of the community agencies. Kings Court English House, for example, will be working with UC Green, a program that encourages neighborhood students to plant trees and shrubs to beautify the community, said David Grossman, director of Civic House.

The effort to introduce students to their community and the value of volunteerism and service is in its eighth year here.

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