Flooding through the gates of the school, children with refugee status swarmed onto the field hockey field to learn a new sport and have tons of fun.

“We just wanted to share our sport, hoping that it would bring them joy,” said Lauren Shu, junior on the varsity field hockey team and the Kinkaid Community Service Leadership Council.

Excitedly running around, kids of all ages learned how to use a field hockey stick to do drills and shoot a goal. Some children even got to suit up in goalie gear and practice defending.

“Field hockey sticks and balls were handed out in order that all the families could be able to further play with the new skills they learned,” Shu said.

The idea for this unique project originated when Shu began planning her project for the council. She partnered with an organization called Combined Arms, in particular their SIVs (Special Immigrant Visa) and Allies program.

“They work with refugees, mostly from Afghanistan, to maintain settlement in Texas and provide them with basic necessities,” Shu explained.

Overall, the field hockey project was a success.

“The laughter and smiles that I saw all around that morning made us feel as if they truly benefited from the experience,” Shu said.

The community service leadership council encourages students on the council, just like Lauren Shu, to create their own service projects and take high schoolers with them. They intend to serve different types of areas in Houston and forge relationships with unique organizations.

Only a week later, students eagerly approached Mark White Elementary School with art supplies in hand.

“I partnered with the school, which is underserved, and we helped make decorations for Thanksgiving,” said Lili Lassoued, sophomore on the council.

The school does not have abundant access to supplies in order to create elaborate decorations. 

Upper Schoolers ran around, played with, and watched movies with the students.

In January, students will get the opportunity to serve another school in a distinctive way. 

“We will be heading to the Westview School in order to clean and renovate their Nature Garden,” said Bess Brazelton, a sophomore on the community service council. 

This Garden is used constantly by the attending students in order to study nature.

Students will demolish flower beds, remove debris and clear a lot of land.

“Renovating it would give the kids a better chance at getting outdoor time while also learning and working with various plants,” Brazelton said.

These three projects are all brand-new projects for the council. 

“Although all of our older projects are helpful, new projects can open up new opportunities and partnerships between the Kinkaid community and the community they can serve,” Shu said.

Students can cultivate leadership experiences by partnering with organizations from all over Houston.

“Houston is constantly growing and expanding, which means new organizations are appearing each day, and by interacting with these new ones we can see experiences with all different types of Houston inhabitants,” Brazelton said.