Students at IA Help with Harvest for Service Activity

During a week of service, referred to as C Week, students at the International Academy campuses joined forces with Forgotten Harvest and Oakland Urban Farms to harvest food. The event involves the key Service Learning component of the International Baccalaureate program.

Many students went to Forgotten Harvest in Detroit to gather crops including carrots, kale, and cabbage; others went to Oakland Urban Farm in Detroit to pick apples and peaches, split beans, and weed. The food gathered will feed more than 34,000 people.
 
IA Service Learning Coordinator Lisa Bilotti noted, “After not being able to provide an in person service learning experience for our students due to the pandemic, it was amazing to see everyone engaged in service to address food insecurity. Whether our students were at one of the farms or back in the classroom, the dedication and support were felt.”

The IB program encourages students to be involved in collaborative engagement with the community in a response to an authentic need. “Students learned how hard work can help so many people who truly need it,” said Bilotti. “The passionate members from each organization radiated appreciation each day.  Both of these nonprofits employ very few paid workers, and what our students, staff, and parent volunteers were able to accomplish in a few hours would have taken them days to do on their own.”