Ready to start its third year, Horizons Graland reflects the school’s mission to build community and extend purposeful learning beyond the classroom. It also creates meaningful leadership opportunities for Graland Middle School students to support the Horizon participants.

18 Graland seventh graders have stepped forward to volunteer with Horizons Graland this summer. Their enthusiasm is genuine, driven by a desire to contribute to the success of Horizons students while also growing as leaders and mentors.

As an educator at Graland for more than 30 years, I have had the privilege of teaching many of these students in Lower School. Watching them now seek out these roles to support other students’ growth fills me with pride as I witness their confidence and maturity.

During volunteer interviews, these students spoke thoughtfully about their motivations. Many connected their own experiences with the Graland buddy program to their desire to serve. They remembered what it felt like to be supported by an older student and now want to offer that same sense of connection to Horizons students.

What stood out most was their sense of purpose. As volunteers, they are not students simply looking for something to do over the summer. Rather, they understand the responsibility that comes with working with younger children and are eager to make a meaningful difference in someone else’s experience.

To prepare for their roles this summer, Graland Middle School volunteers participated in a kickoff lunch, where Graland parent Amy Schwartzreich coached them on using their voice and body language to communicate effectively with children and adults. Her focus was on helping them create welcoming, inclusive environments.

Students left with practical strategies for building connections, skills they started putting into practice this spring

In April, at the Graland Art Show, the volunteers facilitated pinwheel art activities, guiding younger students through the creative process. Soon after, during the Earth Day-themed Super Saturday, they supported Horizons students and their families as they explored environmental learning stations, adapting activities for different ages and learning styles.

In these moments, the Graland Middle School students shared their knowledge while also practicing how to communicate clearly, respond to others, and adjust their approach based on the needs of their audience.

This summer, Graland Middle School volunteers will bring their skills and energy to three dynamic enrichment classes within the Horizons Graland program.

During the Energy and Motion class, which focuses on science and kinetics, they will support activities that help Horizons students explore how energy and movement work. In the Artistic Moves class, volunteers will guide students through visual arts projects and introduce them to capoeira, a Brazilian martial art that blends acrobatics and music. The Tinker and Stir class will engage students in engineering challenges and cooking activities, encouraging creativity, problem-solving, and confidence.

As they lead these experiences, Graland students will continue to explain ideas, guide younger learners, and adapt in real time as they respond to different needs and perspectives.

As Graland Middle School students prepare to guide Horizons students through summer experiences in science, arts, engineering, and cooking, they are doing more than volunteering. They are learning how to support others, share their knowledge, and contribute to a broader community.

Horizons Graland gives Graland students the opportunity to engage with peers from different backgrounds, building empathy, perspective, and purpose.

Watching these students step into these roles is a powerful reminder that what begins at Graland does not stay in the classroom. It grows through experience, shaping how students connect with others and contribute to the world around them.