Students pledge to spend holiday in service

Youth across Portland honor Dr. King’s dream by volunteering at local high school

An army of 1,200 student volunteers from nine colleges throughout the Portland area is convening at Roosevelt High School on Monday, Jan. 16. For many college students, Martin Luther King Jr. Day is considered a day off. Those who honor the civil rights leader’s birthday by performing volunteer service consider it “a day on.” According to a press release by Oregon Campus Compacts, together, the volunteers at Roosevelt will contribute 4,800 hours of service with an estimated impact of $70,000.

The OCC press release states that Roosevelt is one of Oregon’s most ethnically diverse high schools. As recently as 2009, it was also one of the state’s poorest performing schools. A three-year federal grant of $7.7 million was awarded to Roosevelt in 2010 to rescue the school from closure and help turn it around. The grant money seems to have addressed many of the school’s needs.

Youth across Portland honor Dr. King’s dream by volunteering at local high school

An army of 1,200 student volunteers from nine colleges throughout the Portland area is convening at Roosevelt High School on Monday, Jan. 16. For many college students, Martin Luther King Jr. Day is considered a day off. Those who honor the civil rights leader’s birthday by performing volunteer service consider it “a day on.” According to a press release by Oregon Campus Compacts, together, the volunteers at Roosevelt will contribute 4,800 hours of service with an estimated impact of $70,000.

The OCC press release states that Roosevelt is one of Oregon’s most ethnically diverse high schools. As recently as 2009, it was also one of the state’s poorest performing schools. A three-year federal grant of $7.7 million was awarded to Roosevelt in 2010 to rescue the school from closure and help turn it around. The grant money seems to have addressed many of the school’s needs.

“We want to help continue [Roosevelt’s] momentum and be a part of it,” said McKenzie Miller, OCC communications coordinator. The OCC organized the MLK Day event at Roosevelt in part to celebrate the school’s success but also to help encourage community involvement with the school.

“The spirit of MLK Day is about getting people involved with their community,” Miller added. “Service is a great way to bring people together.” The theme of this year’s MLK Day event is meant to help the community reflect on education as a civil right. King was, himself, a proponent of education; he believed that everyone should have fair and equitable access to knowledge. OCC’s MLK Day event is a fitting tribute to his life and work.

Volunteers will be working on projects that fall within two main categories. Approximately 400 people will be assigned to beautifying the school facility through cleaning, painting and landscaping. The remaining volunteers will devote their time to activities that organizers hope will promote education.

The daily announcements at Roosevelt include invitations for the high school students to join the volunteers on Monday. Donnie McPherson, Roosevelt’s leadership advisor and activities director, expressed gratitude that his school was selected for the MLK Day service project. “The kids will get to see people working together promoting a spirit of community,” McPherson said. He expects that students will benefit greatly from witnessing such collaborative effort. McPherson believes the MLK Day event will lend the students a sense of pride in their school.

Portland State’s office of Student Leaders for Service pledges to contribute 200 of the 1,200 volunteers. As of Monday, Jan. 9, only 57 PSU volunteers had registered for the MLK Day event. Miranda Williamson, interim coordinator of SLS at PSU, is confident that they will reach their goal by Monday.

Volunteers from PSU are meeting Monday morning in front of Smith Hall to board buses at 8 a.m. To register, visit www.pdx.edu/cae/sls-events.