Philanthropy Education for Children

We put out a press release in the Transylvania Times earlier this year about our students getting back into service learning projects (SLPs) after a COVID-driven hiatus. I hope you got a chance to read it.

The programmatic purpose of SLPs at Mountain Sun is to give children the chance to “belong,” a key piece of our school’s mission. By engaging with others and learning how to coexist peacefully, children learn that the school and their communities are places of helping, belonging, and acceptance.

While this is an important part of our elementary and middle school curriculum, I believe much of the beauty and benefit of young people engaging in volunteer and charitable work remains unseen until a later day. I’m referring to the inherent drive to demonstrate generosity in their adult lives. 

Here’s my theory: I think that if people experience service learning, self-sacrifice, and giving back to their communities when they are children - particularly to organizations that they can recognize have directly impacted their young lives - then they are more likely to notice if that part of their routine is missing throughout life. If the foundation of a person’s sense of belonging is strong, including an awareness of where an individual plays a part in the big picture, then I think they will be more likely to follow the urge to prioritize those feelings with their time and resources. 

My theory isn’t completely unfounded! Several studies from 2020 show that people are more likely to give money to organizations with which they already volunteer. And it’s no surprise that parents who demonstrate philanthropic activities have great potential to positively influence their children. 

Young people are an under-recognized piece of nonprofit work, but as an organization that focuses on youth development, we should more fully acknowledge the lasting power of our impact. By teaching our students to be engaged and contributing members of society in their foundational years, we hope they will continue to be so throughout their lives. Recent studies show that children who engage in altruistic activities feel more fulfilled and empowered in their sense of self than those who don’t.

Mountain Sun continues to prioritize an active role in our community for the benefit of today, showing young people first-hand that they are significant and influential. Maybe Mountain Sun will be one of the organizations our students return to because of their experience growing here. Regardless, what a gift to learn the subtle lesson that in giving of ourselves, we can gain a lifetime of valuable awareness and interconnectedness.