When it came to working on a service project for the year, students in the LynxServe and Student Government Association (SGA) knew they wanted to do something special.
"Our process started with the idea of bridging the two groups together, as they both embody the Lausanne Way of developing leadership and service," Evan Lewellyn '23 said.
"We knew we wanted to do something that incorporated students from the whole campus," Dany Hamze '23 said. "Everyone has loose change lying around, and so it's an easy way to get everyone involved.
The two groups got together and started "the Pennies For A Purpose" project: this week, students in Lower, Middle and Upper Schools will have the opportunity to bring any extra change (not limited to pennies) to donate to the cause. Containers will be set up in the divisions around campus as students compete against each other and attempt to meet their goals. Service projects at Lausanne help promote the development of lifelong learners through engagement with the broader community outside the school's walls. The LynxServe Club and SGA members hosted planning meetings, selected beneficiaries, created incentives for each division, and communicated their message through multiple platforms.
"(The groups) have worked hard on this project," Hamze said. "From the project's planning stages to deciding how to communicate and get the word out properly, each step has been a learning process and one that we have worked together to both figure out and execute."
"It's truly inspiring to watch a student lead project come to life," LynxServe Coordinator Katie Brezina said. "We are extremely excited about contributing to the Greater Memphis Community,"
During the week of Homecoming (January 23-26), containers will be set up in each division around campus as students compete against each other and attempt to meet their goals.
"The competition aspect of the project just makes it fun," Hamze said. "We know how much students across grade levels love pajama days, so we made that a reward across grade levels. In addition, the Middle School grade that raises the most money gets a pizza party. The Upper School underclassmen grade that raises the most money gets a pizza party, and the upperclassmen grade that raises the most money gets an additional off-campus lunch day."
When it comes to the money raised, each division met and decided on which charity would receive the money. The Upper School will split their total between the Wolf River Conservatory and the Mid-South Food Bank, while the Middle School will donate to the Refugee Empowerment Program, and has a service project planned for the non-profit. The Lower School will be contributing the money they raise to the Humane Society of Memphis & Shelby County and have a special guest from their organization coming on campus.
"Over the years, the LynxServe leaders have provided many volunteer opportunities for the club with organizations like the Mid-South Food Bank and the Wolf River Conservatory," Brezina said. "It creates solid partnerships with these organizations."
"Making an impact in the community around us is a big part of what I have learned from being a student here at Lausanne the last fifteen years," Dany Hamze '23 said. "It is more than the learning we do in the classroom. It is how we take that education and learn to use it to better the lives of those around us."