For the fifth straight year, Shady Side Academy Middle School students devoted an entire school day to service learning on Global Action Day, held Thursday, Dec. 14. Approximately 210 students in grades 6-8 spent the day learning about complex social issues and engaging in hands-on service activities. The theme this year was health, and each grade learned about a particular aspect of this larger topic.

Sixth graders focused on global issues surrounding access to clean water, having recently read the book A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park. Students learned about water issues in specific countries and made informational posters for each country to create an informational gallery in the hallway. They also participated in an Iron Giraffe Challenge, hula hooping and jumping rope in the gym to raise money for the organization Water for South Sudan. In addition, they participated in a Walk to Water simulation on campus.

Seventh graders learned about the history of Pittsburgh's air quality, hearing presentations from Thaddeus Popovich of Allegheny Clean Air Now and Aja Ellis, a Ph.D. student at Carnegie Mellon University. They learned how to use air quality monitors to test and analyze the air quality at the Middle School, then worked in advisory groups to create pollutant presentations and PSAs about air quality.

Eighth graders explored the issues of food access and waste. They participated in a learning exercise where they had to plan a menu and go grocery shopping at Giant Eagle on a SNAP budget. At the end of the day, Hana Uman from the organization 412 Food Rescue spoke to them about food waste. The school donated the food they purchased at Giant Eagle, as well as the bagels that had been purchased for Bagel Day, to 412 Food Rescue.

The goal of Global Action Day is to raise awareness and educate students about key issues while empowering them to impact change in their local community. The annual service day is organized by social studies teacher Molly Braver '94 in cooperation with school head Amy Nixon and the entire Middle School faculty.

Watch the Global Action Day highlight video: