MLK Days of Service 2020

MLK Day of ServiceFor the 10th straight year, Shady Side Academy will celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day by engaging in meaningful service learning activities that impact the Pittsburgh community. This year, Senior School activities will take place on MLK Day, Monday, Jan. 20, while Country Day, Junior and Middle School activities will take place during school days in January.

Senior School Project Sites & Descriptions

All project sites are now full – thank you!

All activities take place the morning of Monday, Jan. 20; times vary by location and spots are limited. Volunteers must provide their own transportation to and from the site. Please register online by Monday, Jan. 13.

Family House (30 volunteers, 10 per location)

Time: 10 a.m.-12 p.m.
Family House Neville, 514 N. Neville St., Pittsburgh PA 15213
Family House Shadyside, 5245 Centre Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15232
Family House University Place, 116 Thackeray Ave., Pittsburgh PA 15213

Volunteers at three locations will prepare a meal for residents of Family House, which provides housing for patients and/or their families visiting Pittsburgh for medical treatment.

Ronald McDonald House (20 volunteers, 10 per shift)

Time: 8-10:30 a.m. (breakfast shift) or 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. (lunch shift)
451 44th St., Pittsburgh, PA 15210

Volunteers in two shifts will prepare breakfast or lunch for residents of Ronald McDonald House, which provides housing for families of patients receiving medical treatment at Children's Hospital.

Book 'Em at the Thomas Merton Center (10 volunteers)

Time: 10 a.m.-12 p.m.
5129 Penn Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15224

Volunteers will package donated books for the Thomas Merton Center's Book 'Em project, which improves the quality of life for prisoners in Pennsylvania by providing free books and educational materials.

Country Day, Junior & Middle Schools

To ensure that all PK-8 students are engaged in meaningful service learning education in honor of Dr. King's legacy, Country Day, Junior and Middle School activities will take place during school days in January rather than on the Jan. 20 holiday. Parents at each school will receive more details directly from their respective school office.

Country Day School students will celebrate MLK Day in school on Friday, Jan. 17, from 8:15-10:30 a.m. The morning will begin with an assembly, then students and teachers will work together to make fleece blankets for displaced people in Pittsburgh. Students will also make cards for children who visit The Caring Place for support when they lose a loved one. Middle School Community Service Committee students will assist. The morning will culminate with a special MLK video. Parents are welcome to join the activities. A dress-down day on Friday, Dec. 20, will raise money to purchase fleece for the blankets, and families may donate fleece as well.

Junior School students will celebrate MLK Day in school on Thursday, Jan. 16, from 9-11:30 a.m. The morning will begin with an assembly and guest speaker, then students and teachers will work in Shady Side Way teams to make fleece blankets for displaced people in Pittsburgh. Senior School Service Learning Club students will assist. Everyone will hear a book about Dr. King and excerpts from his "I Have a Dream" speech. Parents are welcome to join the activities. A dress-down day on Friday, Dec. 13, will raise money to purchase fleece for the blankets, and families may donate fleece as well.

Middle School students will watch Dr. King's "I Have a Dream Speech" on Wednesday, Jan. 8, in their advisories, then reflect and prepare creative responses such as poetry, art or music, which will be shared at a break time concert on Tuesday, Jan. 21. A dress-down day on Friday, Jan. 10, and a donation drive from Jan. 8-17 will collect funds, clothing and toiletry items for Catholic Charities, which will be sorted and packed at a service-themed assembly on Thursday, Jan. 23.

Other Ways to Celebrate MLK Day

Looking for other ways to celebrate MLK Day with your family? Here are some other events, programs and volunteer opportunities sponsored by other organizations around Pittsburgh: