Service for Peace

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Washington DC Summer of Service 2004

Learning trust in the blindfold game The Washington DC chapter of Service for Peace has held its 3 rd consecutive annual Summer of Service program on June 28 - July 3, 2004 . 54 youth ages 13 - 18 have performed a total of 1860 community service hours during 6 days of diverse activities and service projects.

The youth, representing diverse racial, ethnic, religious and social backgrounds have worked with 5 partner organizations to serve various communities in the DC Metro area while learning how to create lasting peace in themselves, and apply these lessons in their families, communities and the world. Through the brand new PATHMakers leadership training curriculum complemented by daily community service projects, they were taught valuable lessons in leadership and conflict resolution skills, personal and civic responsibility and teamwork.

Each day consisted of 3 different parts: an hour orientation where participants learned a leadership skill through exercises and prepared for the day's project, a service project, and a guided reflection. All activities were performed in small teams that allowed a greater bounding and a sense of family to develop among the participants.

Clean up at Evans MS The daily projects also gave them a variety of experiences. They have prepared Evans Middle School for the new school year by sorting out and cleaning furniture, removed invasive plants and cleaned ponds at Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens , participated in a rally at Capitol Hill concerning youth issues, and worked at Garden Harvest Community Farm preparing for planting blueberries.

The most memorable experience for everyone was the overnight stay at Garden Harvest at the end of the week. After a hard day's work we cooked a great BBQ and roasted marshmallows on the campfire. Then we sang some songs and shared personal stories as we grew closer to each other. Nobody wanted this to end and all participants were already planning for the next year's program.


Moving furniture at Evans Middle School	A morning moment at Garden Harvest Farm	Singing at the campfire