Meet the Student: Brett Thomas Shares his Take on Service & Service-Learning

Editor’s Note: Brett Thomas isn’t scheduled to graduate from Eagle Rock School for a few trimesters, but he already says with authority that his post-Eagle Rock plans include studying criminal justice prior to a career in law enforcement.

Brett_Thomas_Eagle_Rock_SchoolBrett, who was raised in Boulder, Colo., credits the community service experience he has garnered thus far here at Eagle Rock as having heightened his interest in helping others as a peace officer. As you’ll see below, our focus on service learning — education that integrates community service along with facilitated instruction — not only enriches the learning path but also teaches civic responsibility and results in a stronger community.

We asked Brett to discuss the influence Eagle Rock’s service learning programs have had on his education thus far, as well as to tell us more about his future plans.

Here’s what he had to say:

Eagle Rock: Why would you want to perform service for others?

Brett Thomas: In the past, I used to think service was incredibly pointless and a waste of time for students at Eagle Rock. But the more I actually involved myself within the community, the more I felt satisfied — I actually felt better about myself.

Knowing others find happiness as a result of the labors I’ve accomplished helps me realize what service is. It’s not about the journey — because, to be honest, that can be incredibly boring at times. But in the end, you see other’s enjoyment and fulfillment and you think, “Whoa, I actually accomplished all of this through my work. I wasn’t forced into this, I actually enjoyed it.”

This mindset comes in part from the effects of dopamine. But instead of it being gathered through something unhealthy — such as gambling, drinking or drugs — it’s gathered and dispersed through the more positive aspects of service. Many people my age use drugs to feel better, and they often suffer from the consequences.

And while I haven’t taken drugs, I know what triggers people to continuously abuse them. One way to combat substance abuse is through Continue reading…

Understanding Eagle Rock’s ‘Service Saturday’

Service to the community and to those less fortunate has always been in Eagle Rock’s DNA. We’re fortunate — we have numerous opportunities to provide community service, which we define as “a selfless contribution that helps and assists others, and which creates a positive impact.”

Saturday Service at Eagle Rock School

These “give back” opportunities are outside of our students’ regular responsibilities and discipline-related obligations, and offer on- and off-campus services that contribute to the well being or preservation of the broader local community (which Eagle Rock is part of).

Prior to the spring of 2016, Saturday mornings here at Eagle Rock operated as a half current events gathering that was followed by a Saturday seminar. These session, known as Saturday Seminar, were operated as Continue reading…

The EagleServe Has Landed — And Here’s What It Accomplished

John_GuffeyThe tradition of EagleServe — a two-day flurry of service-learning activity at Eagle Rock School — dates it’s origins all the way back to the school’s beginning over 20 years ago, and is born out of the belief that we become better people through service to others.

On the first Thursday and Friday of each trimester, students and staff gather to celebrate the gift of giving by serving the Eagle Rock community, society at large, and often the natural environment.

In keeping with the principles of service learning, EagleServe connects us with service projects that touch on real-world problem solving, where our efforts actually contribute to meeting the needs of others while bringing new knowledge and skills to participants through the process of serving others.

In this regard, ER 66 (the name we give to the 66th trimester since Eagle Rock was founded in September of 1993) has been no exception. The unstated, but ever present theme of “making connections” was evident from the opening gathering in our on-campus Learning Resource Center Amphitheater on Thursday, May 14, to the close of a busy Friday as project teams returned from far-flung flood recovery projects reaching up and down the Estes Valley.  And yes, our surrounding environment is still recovering from the “1,000-year flood” that descended on our community in September of 2013.

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The first highlight in this trimester’s EagleServe festivities was Robin Sukhadia’s Tabla Performance during Gathering on Thursday morning. As many know, Robin taught the Continue reading…

Recapping the Events of Explore Week

Each and every trimester here at Eagle Rock, you can count on things slowing way down at the conclusion of the first five weeks of classes, We call this period of time Explore Week, and it gives our students the opportunity to check out careers, hobbies, colleges, art, music, physical fitness, the outdoors, and other offerings that may not necessarily fit into the daily academic curriculum.  

As an added bonus, our instructional staff gains a precious week to catch up on future coursework, because often it’s folks outside of Eagle Rock who teach the classes conducted during Explore Week. Of course, some of our staff and teaching fellows are in a position to forego some planning chores, instead bringing their personality and interests to the community in the form of their own Explore Week class.

Eagle-Rock-Explore-Week

At first, Explore Week was seen as a way to offer music and art to Eagle Rock students. However, since the school now boasts a strong musical and artistic program, class offerings have become more creative. Much more creative.

Past classes have included mock trials, barista training, Reiki certifications, Tablas, sewing, rock climbing, iPhone video production and stone masonry.

For this trimester’s Explore Week, there were a variety of on-campus and off-campus activities underway:

  • On-campus, Tobee and Derik worked hard wrapping up their graduation requirements since their big day is fast approaching.
  • Three other students — Jeremy, Nija’ah, and Jessy — studied and finished up projects in preparation for their graduation next trimester.