High Schoolers volunteer across Nashville

After gathering in Durnan Auditorium to hear from Kayla Miller ’10, Ed, D., and former teacher Betty White, High Schoolers spent the day volunteering at various organizations throughout the region during Community Action Day.
By Kalee Barbis, Director of Experiential Learning

Community Action Day — a long-standing tradition at USN — began over 30 years ago in the simplest and most meaningful way: two students overheard then teacher Betty White mention tutoring in East Nashville and asked if they could come along.

That small moment grew. Over time, one site became four. Full buses began leaving 2000 Edgehill and heading into our city — to places like Carter Lawrence Elementary, Brighter Days, and Salama Urban Ministries. As more and more students committed to showing up, the idea of Community Action Day emerged: a day when all High School students spent time volunteering across Nashville.

In talking with alumni, one thing has been clear: at its best, Community Action Day wasn’t meant to be a “one and done” service event. It was an extension of what was already happening — the ongoing relationships, the consistent presence, the steady commitment. It didn’t always feel special because it simply felt normal … and deeply meaningful.

Over time, though, the day shifted. Instead of reflecting the daily work and partnerships that were happening throughout the year, it began to feel more like an event in and of itself. And while it was still special, it started to feel more transactional than relational.

This year, we made the decision to try something new in hopes of returning to our roots: Engage Edgehill. Rather than centering on one single day, we wanted to offer students a glimpse into the history of our school through speaker Kayla Miller ’10, Ed.D, a deeper understanding of our neighborhood tour with Fifth Grade Social Studies Teacher Connie Lopez, and — most importantly — a real chance to participate in meaningful work alongside our community, not just in our community. We did this by inviting students to apply for the special day and engaging community partners all on our block.

High School History Teacher Ayesha Nawaz added her students to the event and tied this community work to her classroom.

In total, 94 students and 11 staff members participated. 

Engage Edgehill was four hours on the calendar, but it represented far more than that. There were countless emails, behind-the-scenes meetings, planning conversations, and reflection. We kept returning to the same questions:
  • How do we help students see beyond themselves and our campus?
  • How do we create meaningful community engagement for students?
  • What does it look like to build a blueprint for volunteering that’s sustainable?
  • How do we live our mission in a way that is purposeful, consistent, and rooted in relationship?
With those questions in mind, we partnered with the Susan Gray School, Edgehill Library, Edgehill Garden, Room in the Inn, and Carter Lawrence for this inaugural event. 

Engage Edgehill concluded on Wednesday, February 11, and the impact is already clear. We’ve received over 11 applications for next year’s student leadership team, and three students have already asked to be directly connected to their organizations so they can return.

Because this was never about one event. This is about rebuilding purposeful relationships — and returning to the kind of community engagement that extends beyond our classrooms and truly serves our neighborhood.
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Edgehill Campus
2000 Edgehill Ave.
Nashville, TN 37212

Phone:  615-321-8000
Fax:       615-321-0889 
Email:    info@usn.org

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1200 County Hospital Road
Nashville, TN 37218

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USN Mission: 
University School of Nashville models the best educational practices. In an environment that represents the cultural and ethnic composition of Metropolitan Nashville, USN fosters each student’s intellectual, artistic, and athletic potential, valuing and inspiring integrity, creative expression, a love of learning, and the pursuit of excellence.