King Cares

The King Cares service program reinforces the school’s belief that community engagement is central to educational excellence.

This program combines service learning with community engagement to help students achieve an understanding of their skills, explore areas of interest, build empathy, and engage with multiple perspectives. Through the process, they discover how they can use their skills and interests to strengthen our community through a partnership among students, families, faculty, staff, and partner organizations. As the students participate, they problem solve and further develop leadership, collaboration, and communication skills, as well as a greater understanding of who they are, our shared humanity, and their role in the community.

King Cares prepare students to positively impact an interconnected society through civic and social engagement.

The King Cares Service program follows King School’s belief that community engagement is central to educational excellence into action. This program combines service learning — a curriculum-based teaching and learning strategy involving research, action, and reflection — with community engagement opportunities.

The program’s interdisciplinary nature helps students achieve a deeper understanding of their skills, explore further areas of interest, build empathy, and engage with multiple perspectives. Through the process, students discover how they can use their skills and interests to strengthen our community through a reciprocal learning partnership among students, families, faculty, staff, and partner organizations.

As students participate in meaningful community engagement opportunities, they develop leadership, collaboration, communication, and problem-solving skills. They also cultivate a greater understanding of who they are, of our shared humanity, and of their role in the community. The King Cares experience prepares them for lifelong civic and social responsibility in an interconnected society where they can make an impact.

Examples of Programs

The King Cares Service Learning program is incorporated throughout the entire school community of students, teachers, staff, and families. Often working in partnership with community organizations, the programming occurs in several iterations in and out of the classroom, depending on the project. Initiatives, which are infused into the students’ school days, are sometimes school wide and at other times led by a class, grade, advisory, division, club, or department.

King Cares also offers opportunities for students to participate in activities after school on and off campus in all divisions and be part of youth committees with partner organizations. The program also facilitates travel opportunities in collaboration with the Global Education program, Athletics, and Performing Arts. Ultimately, if a student wants to make community engagement an ongoing part of their King objectives, this program makes it possible.

All School

Throughout the school year there are opportunities for all students to participate in King Cares events including the Annual King Cares 5K for Boys and Girls Club of Stamford and The Orphaned Starfish Foundation, the Stuffed Animal Collection and the Food Drive for Person-to-Person, King Cares Family Service Day, and more. Through King Cares, students engage in community service both on and off campus. Here are a few of the annual King Cares events:

All School Pink Out.
King Cares 5K for Boys and Girls Club of Stamford and The Orphaned Starfish Foundation.
Person-to-Person Food Drive and Souper Bowl drive.
Stuffed Animal Collection for Person-to-Person
One day Food Drive in January in partnership with Jack and Jill of America for Person-to-Person.
Midnight Run collection.
King of Spring/ King Cares Family Service Day.
Collection for Ukraine.

Lower School

The Lower School King Cares projects include writing letters to veterans for Operation Gratitude, collecting blankets for upper school students to deliver to the homeless on the Midnight Run, painting pumpkins and writing Valentines for residents in the Long Ride Post Acute Care Center, painting bird houses for the garden at Building One Community in Stamford, and more. Lower school students can also participate in the King Cares Club during the fall, winter and spring sessions through after-school activities.

Examples include:

Food sorting for Person to Person during the November Food drive
Blankets of Hope Kindness Project- blankets went to Midnight Run, Building One Community, Inspirica where each grade, K- Gr. 5, participated in a lesson around kindness and then wrote notes that were attached to the blankets.
Students in Grades 1-5 could sign up for the Parents’ Night out Movie Night hosted by the US Girl Up club

Middle School

Middle School students have the opportunity to participate in ongoing after-school service opportunities through community projects around the Stamford community. Students can continue their outreach within the school day by joining the King Cares Club, which meets during the Middle School Club period.

Examples include:

Decorating bags for Person-to-Person’s Holiday Toy Store
Writing notes to first responders
Playing games with younger students at Project Music
Sorting toiletry items for Midnight Run
Making no sew blankets for the blanket/ towel collection for several pet organizations in the fall and support of a Pet Adoption event
Making STEM kits for OSF program in Peru and Costa Rica
Organizing a sock collection for New Covenant Center and also sorted and packed toiletry kits for New Covenant

Upper School

The Upper School features numerous student-run clubs and activities that address causes ranging from homelessness and hunger to literacy and the environment. Additionally, upper school students are central to the coordination and logistics of the all-school King Cares activities. The Upper School also presents collaboration opportunities between clubs, for example the Health and Wellness Club oversees the holiday cards for patients at Stamford Hospital, and the King Connections Club manages the Lower School production of Kindness Rocks. Read more about our Interdisciplinary Learning with Global Education, King Cares and Athletics within the Upper School here.

King Cares Partnerships

American Red Cross
Bennett Cancer Center/Stamford Hospital
American Heart Association
American Red Cross
Bennett Cancer Center/Stamford Hospital
Boys and Girls Club
Building One Community
Children of Fallen Patriots
The Children’s Learning Centers
El Sistema
Harlem Lacrosse
India Cultural Center
Inspirica
Jack and Jill of America

Kids in Crisis
Leukemia and Lymphoma Society
Long Ridge Post-Acute Care Center
Midnight Run
New Covenant House
North Rampart Community Center- NOLA
Norwalk Grassroots tennis
The Orphaned Starfish Foundation
Person-to Person
Project Music
SoundWaters
SPCA
Stamford Nature Center and Arboretum
Stamford PEACE- Beyond Limits Tutoring

Calendar

King Cares Annual 5K Run/Walk

King student-athletes from the fall athletic teams will host the annual King Cares 5K fun walk/run benefiting the Boys and Girls Club of Stamford, as well as the Orphaned Starfish Foundation. Your contribution or participation in the event will not only go to help fund programs but also helps King students engage in a reciprocal learning experience through community outreach, a key component to the King mission statement. Donations of all sizes are accepted.

Please note: Registration for participants aged 15 and older is $30 per person. Registration for children aged 6-14 is $10 per person. Children 5 and under are free.

9:15 a.m. Registration at Simon House Lawn

10:00 a.m. Race Starts

For more information about the King Cares Service Program, please contact Karen Raidt, Director of the King Cares Service Program & Student Services, at kraidt@kingschoolct.org.

King Cares in Action

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