On a fall day in October, juniors and seniors at Manheim Central High School spent time giving back to their community. The students participated in the Going Beyond day, a project that connected the kids with service opportunities throughout Lancaster County and the surrounding area.

"We had students at Schreiber Pediatric Center, at Jubiliee Ministries, at House of His Creation, at Arch Street Center," said Stephen Fulmer, dean of school culture, who organized the day. The students partnered with 34 local organizations, signing up for projects that interested them. "Some students worked in classrooms at preschools or the elementary or middle school level, helping teachers with lessons," Fulmer remarked. "Some did groundskeeping, like raking leaves or cleaning up outdoor spaces. There was a wide variety of projects."

At Arch Street Center in Lancaster, a group of students spent time with adults in the membership-based day program, which is offered for people living with serious mental illness. "The students got here early and wrote messages to the members on the pavement before the members arrived," shared Ed McManama, executive director of Arch Street Center. "Once the members were here, they interacted with them and helped with lunch."

Fulmer explained that Going Beyond offered service opportunities for students in 2018 and 2019 but had to pause during the height of the pandemic. As students returned to places this year or visited new locations, they fulfilled a goal of the program, he noted. "We want our students to be engaged in the community," Fulmer said. "We believe in giving back to others, and we believe that we are not meant to do life alone. We want them to learn about other perspectives and different life circumstances and develop empathy and understanding."

He emphasized that the feedback he received from the organizations was overwhelmingly positive. "Everyone was incredibly excited and happy to work with us, and many of the organizations want us to come back next year," he commented. "They were impressed with the students' attitudes and work ethics."

Fulmer is in the process of creating a follow-up program, allowing students to create their own service projects by themselves or in small groups that will last beyond a one-time experience. "We want our students to have lasting, ongoing relationships with the people in our community," he said. "We don't want this to be just one day."