More than 500 members of the GW community teamed up on Martin Luther King Jr. Day to spruce up five public schools in Southeast D.C.
Sporting t-shirts bearing the message “A Day On, Not a Day Off,” students, faculty and staff painted playgrounds and walls, created murals, organized classrooms and cleaned desks at Ballou Senior High School, Ballou STAY High School, M.C. Terrell/McGogney Elementary School, Stanton Elementary School and Moten Elementary School at Wilkinson.
“I am proud that so many George Washington University students, staff and faculty have devoted this day to serving our neighbors throughout the District of Columbia,” said GW President Steven Knapp. “By coming together to improve our community and strengthen our schools, they are truly upholding the legacy of Dr. King.”
According to District of Columbia Public Schools data, Ward 8 is the poorest area in D.C. In addition to having the highest poverty rate, it has the highest rate of unemployment and of residents without a high school diploma. All five schools involved in Monday’s day of service are Title 1 schools – a federal designation that provides extra funding to underachieving schools.
“I often reflect on Dr. King’s dream for educational equality and its focus on equal access to exemplary programs and facilities for all children,” said Ballou Principal Rahman Branch. “In celebrating Dr. King’s birthday, I am especially thankful to the volunteers from George Washington University for collaborating so thoughtfully with Ballou Senior High School to honor Dr. King’s vision for educational equality and to continue working toward the dream. Your hard work is going to help them become exactly what I know they will become.”
Since 2001, GW has participated in the national Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service, and Monday’s event marked the third time GW students served at Ballou.
“We are a university known for the engagement of our students and our faculty and staff. So many of our students come here to the nation’s capital because they want to make a difference in people’s lives,” said Dr. Knapp.
At the end of the day, the GW community gathered in Ballou’s gym for a closing ceremony. In addition to Dr. Knapp and Mr. Branch, Marion Barry, Ward 8 councilmember; U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood; D.C. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D) and Melody Barnes, White House director of domestic policy, all addressed the audience.
“Martin Luther King’s birthday celebration should not be a day off but a day on. It should not be a day you do nothing, take it easy or go shopping but a day of service,” said Mr. Barry.
Ms. Barnes praised GW students for giving so much of their time to service.
“You all could give a clinic on service to the rest of the country. Thank you for all you do. You show us what service and leadership do,” said Ms. Barnes. “What you’ve done here today and what you’ll hopefully do tomorrow and next week and next month and two and five and 10 years from now is changing lives. As it’s changing your life, it’s changing the lives of other people. There’s no higher calling. There’s no better thing you can do, and there’s certainly no better way you can serve and dedicate your lives to the commitment that Dr. King made to this country.”
At the close of the ceremony, Eric Roberson, a two-time Grammy Award nominee, sang a version of Stevie Wonder’s Happy Birthday to Dr. King, and the Ballou marching band also performed.
This year’s day of service is part of GW’s weeklong celebration of Dr. King.
On Jan. 13, GW honored seven GW community members— Cameron Bell, Brian Hawthorne, Adam Layne, Bianca Neri, Andres Lamar Smith, Catherine Zatorski and Mayra Espinoza — who exemplify the values and ideals of Dr. King with 2011 Martin Luther King Jr. Awards at a ceremony in Dorothy Betts Theatre hosted by the Multicultural Student Services Center.
Ms. Neri, a senior, served more than 400 hours of community service during GW’s 2009-10 service challenge and received the Gold Level President Volunteer Service award as well as the Mayor’s Community Service Award for her work with AmeriCorps where she dedicated her time to boost literacy rates among elementary school students. Ms. Neri currently works as a tutor for Heads Up and spent her summer vacation working as an intern for the D.C. Public School Urban Education Leadership Program.
“Winning this award is truly the highlight of my college career,” says Ms. Neri. “I have been working with young students throughout my college experience and this was a culmination point for everything I have worked for. I was lucky enough to have my father in attendance [at the ceremony] as well as some of my students. The work I do with my students is often a challenging job but it is one that brings a great sense of accomplishment.”
As university coordinator of student involvement, Ms. Espinoza helped coordinate the first cultural student organization alternative spring break trip for GW’s Organization of Latino American Student Leaders to El Progresso, Honduras. She says winning the award was a “humbling and inspiring experience.”
“Being a recipient of the 2011 Martin Luther King Jr. Award as a staff member has great significance to me not only because of the award’s incomparable namesake, but also because of the past recipients who I have had the pleasure of working with during their tenure at the university,” says Ms. Espinoza. “To share in their legacy, students and staff who were recognized for their incredible leadership and the impact they had at GW, is what moves me most. Ultimately, this award for me honors the cultural and personal values I strive to stand true to daily in all areas of my life.”