Inside the Student Day of Service at Lake Forest College
Caleb Pope ’27
popecse95@lakeforest.edu
Staff Writer
Students at Lake Forest College conducted their annual Forester Day of Service bright and early on the morning of April 12. The program brings children from kindergarten through middle school to campus.
The day of service intends to show kids what college looks like and how students go through their day, as well as acquaint younger children with college students of today.
Beginning at 9 a.m. last Saturday, Foresters checked in and were assigned to a group of visiting students based on colored wristbands.
These students spent the next several hours leading visitors through campus, conducting activities, and eating in the cafeteria with the kids.
According to a post made to the college website in 2014, the Forester Day of Service historically involved sending student volunteers to work with kids in Chicago schools in all manner of ways during and after a school day. It has expanded past this point to incorporate visitors coming to meet students and learn about college life.
The day began in Lillard Science Center, where the kids visiting met their group leaders and began getting ready to tour the campus. After some ice-breaker activities, group leaders took visitors around Lillard to Brown Hall and then the cafeteria.
At the end of the day, there was a pep rally at the sports and recreation center on campus to celebrate the Day of Service.
On the other side of the coin, student volunteers could also choose to work on the production for the day.
These volunteers focused on the preparation and behind-the-scenes work for the Day of Service.
“Overall, I liked volunteering, working with young kids can always be difficult, [you]know but they were great,” A volunteer who worked with the visiting students who wished to remain anonymous said. If readers wish to apply next year for the Forester Day of Service, the form to apply next year can be found on the Lake Forest College Website via The Gates Center.