Central Christian School students volunteer at Laurelville
Posted by Brian Paff on Mon, Jan 30, 2012
MOUNT PLEASANT, PA (January 30, 2012)—Thirteen high school students and one teacher from Central Christian School (Kidron, Oh.) spent eight days at Laurelville Mennonite Church Center in January. The trip was part of the school’s popular mini-term, a time set aside for unique learning opportunities in a variety of settings, both on campus as well as off.
Dave Risser led the Laurelville mini-term, marking the twelfth consecutive year the science and math teacher has visited the camp and conference center with students under his supervision.
Risser appreciates coming to Laurelville because his students encounter service opportunities in a different learning environment. “It’s been eye-opening for them,” he observes. “They learn they can have an impact on others through service work.”
The thirteen students collaborated for more than 260 volunteer hours during their stay at Laurelville, a sum equal to more than six weeks of full-time labor by one individual.
Volunteer coordinator Jane Rittenhouse praised the contributions of Risser’s group of students. “We count on (the volunteers) to split most of the summer's firewood, which they've done every year for at least twelve years,” she explains. By the end of their stay, chopped firewood was neatly stacked all the way to the roof in the Laurelville woodshed.
Students also helped out in the kitchen and dining hall, performed general clean-up tasks and assisted facilities and grounds director Gene Hartzler with assembling receptacles for Laurelville’s soon-to-be-enhanced recycling program. “I hope they take away a sense of accomplishment,” says Rittenhouse.
For Risser, the continuity of coming to Laurelville year after year has been a plus. “Gene (Hartzler) and others treat me pretty much like a fellow staff member,” he says. “They trust us to go and do what we need to do.” He also appreciates the variety of tasks laid out for them which serve to engage students with different interests and skills.
Service is a strong mini-term component by design, but students also have the opportunity to explore and develop new skills related to special interests. The Laurelville mini-term features significant time at Seven Springs and Hidden Valley, two nearby resorts that offer skiing, snowboarding and other winter activities.
Laurelville executive director John Denlinger describes this balance of activities as a “win-win” scenario. “Laurelville provides an excellent setting for work and play,” he says. “There is always plenty of work to do around our campus, and students get an inside look at what is required to make things go at a ministry setting like Laurelville.” Plus, he notes, students are able to relax and have fun at Laurelville and its beautiful setting in Pennsylvania’s Laurel Highlands.
Risser also values the time his students find for reflection and relationship-building while at Laurelville. “It’s a concentrated time spent together as a group,” he says. “These students are learning to live with one another in a community.”
To learn more about Central Christian School and its mini-term curricula, visit www.ccscomets.org or call 330.857.7311. If your school or youth group is interested in combining service and recreation while at Laurelville, please contact Jane Rittenhouse at 724.423.2056 or go to Laurelville.org/volunteer.
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