“If a Providence Day student leaves here ready to be an agent for change, ready to make the world a better place, then I think we’ve done as good of a job as we could possibly do as educators.”
– Mr. Lee Tappy, Freshman Class Dean

With that mission in mind, the entire 144-member Class of 2017 embarked on a year-long service learning initiative that focused on the issue of poverty and the effects it has on all aspects of a community.

“Be the Change: Poverty in Charlotte” featured an engaging mix of expert panels and hands-on experiences designed to inspire students to become involved, give back to the community, and apply this knowledge no matter where they live in the future.

Here is a look at the program, by the numbers:
• 144 students participated
• Students were exposed to 25 Charlotte-area nonprofit organizations
• The program engaged each student for more than 21 total hours – or 3,024 cumulative hours for the entire freshman class
• Each student spent more than 6 hours working in the community – or approximately 900 cumulative hours
• The program covered 9 topics: homelessness, animal welfare, civics and legal issues, education, arts and culture, workforce and economic development, health, nutrition, environment
• As part of a flash philanthropy exercise, the students selected local nonprofit Sow Much Good to receive a $1,000 donation.

“Be the Change: Poverty in Charlotte” was a collaborative partnership between Providence Day School and SHARE Charlotte.