Spectrum Families,

Due to the unique nature of the 2020/2021 school year and the uncertainty surrounding the ability to connect with community organizations during this challenging time, Spectrum feels it is in the students’ best interest to omit our service learning courses from the schedule for the first quarter of the year.

Moving forward, we will continue to monitor the situation and follow CDC and MDH guidelines as well as those set by executive orders. We will evaluate our circumstances on a quarterly basis to determine whether or not it is possible to modify or resume our regular service learning program.

Community Outreach remains a pillar of our system at Spectrum. As we begin a unique new school year, be assured that service and community connection will be incorporated into our teaching and learning plan in such a way that ensures the health and well being of both our students and community members.

Sincerely,

Spectrum Administration

Community Outreach

It is the mission of Spectrum’s Community Service Program to empower our students to become leaders in their communities through research, service, and reflection.

Essentially, we are growing leaders at Spectrum.

Whether college or career bound, our program seeks to nurture a sense of empathy for others, and develop the skills necessary for graduates to actively engage in society and lead the way toward positive change and development in the world.

We believe that active service helps our students make connections to the lives of others and empowers them to take the lead in further service action that will benefit our community as a whole.

The program consists of an “on campus” element as well as an “off campus” element.

The “on campus” element includes all coursework and group community service related experiences (field trips, guest speakers, fundraising efforts, etc.) facilitated by Spectrum. These service experiences occur primarily within the regular school day. Here students gain an awareness of the various needs within our community through research and acts of service. We refer to this element as Service Learning.

The “off campus” element includes community service initiated and completed by the individual student.These service experiences occur primarily outside of the regular school day. The intention for this component is to extend and enrich the “on campus” element of our community service program by encouraging students to reach out to those in need within their personal sphere of influence. We do not stress the quantity of time spent, but rather the quality of the time spent and the impact to both the student and the person/group being served. We refer to this element as Community Service.

Upon completion of both elements, students are offered an opportunity to reflect on their experiences in an effort to share their perspectives and insights gained.

The culmination of both service learning (on-campus) and community service (off-campus) is the Senior Capstone experience.

Students at Spectrum who go above and beyond the expectations of the Community Service Program also have an opportunity to letter in the area of Community Outreach. Students who take the initiative to reach out to individuals in need through partnerships with organizations in our community not only gain personal perspective as to how philanthropic actions can have positive results, they are officially acknowledged for their efforts and intentions.