Learning to make a difference

By Matthew Graham

The Oregon City News, May 12, 2009, Updated Oct 30, 2009

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Deonta Dorn wanted to do something for hungry students at Oregon City Service Learning Academy, so he came up with the idea for a community breakfast that would serve two purposes – it would feed students at his school and at the same time help the sophomore class raise money for Community 101.

“I wasn’t sure it would come through,” he said, but students and community members showed up and donated $165 last Wednesday.

Senior Brittany Larson also helped put on the community breakfast, and said she was pleased to see members of the community, parents and members of the school district administrative staff attend the event.

Community 101 “is a class put together by the PGE Foundation, and is funded through the Oregon Community Foundation,” noted sophomore class advisor Matt Schulfer, a math and PE instructor at OCSLA.

His students were given a $5,000 grant, and then had to do some research of non-profit organizations, to determine which ones were going to receive grant money.

“They chose three focus areas: stress, depression and self-esteem; child abuse; and arts and music,” Schulfer said.

Students then contacted 10 non-profits that fit into the focus areas, sifted through applications, chose organizations to support, and then wrote acceptance letters to the four agencies selected.

This Friday, representatives from Morrison Child and Family Services, the Jackson Street Youth Shelter, KBOO radio station and Homowo African Arts and Culture will attend a ceremony at the school to receive checks.

Service Learning

Oregon City Service Learning Academy is a charter school through the Oregon City School District with a different approach to earning high school credit.

This is the academy’s third year, noted Melanie Marrone, principal, and although some of the curriculum has undergone changes through the years, the focus on service learning has stayed the same.

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