Above: Students with Crosby Scholars helped clean up the historic Odd Fellows cemetery.
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day was designated a “National Day of Service” in 1994. Since then, organizations, federal agencies, schools, and individuals have used this holiday as an opportunity to do good. National College Attainment Network (NCAN) members
are no exception.
This year, students with NCAN members Crosby Scholars and More Than Bootstraps continued that tradition by performing acts
of service in their communities.
Restoring Black History
Students and staff at the Crosby Scholars Community Foundation helped to clean up and restore the historic Odd Fellows Cemetery in Winston-Salem, NC. They removed brush, fallen limbs,
and other debris, as well as raked leaves.
The cemetery, established in 1900, is one of the oldest Black cemeteries in the city and largest dating from the early 20th century. The cemetery is estimated to host at least 10,000 graves. Odd Fellows fell into disrepair after the death of its founders
and was neglected for generations. It wasn’t until the early 2000s that a local nonprofit was established to restore the site.
Above: Students with More Than Bootstraps participating in Martin Luther King, Jr. Day activities.
Just Do Something
At More Than Bootstraps, students there took a slightly different approach to Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. They created accounts on DoSomething.org, an international nonprofit focused on youth
and social change, and participated in one of the activities offered on the site:
Emailing elected officials to advocate for the expansion and improvement of mental health services in their school.
Reviewing and sharing with a friend the DoSomething Vibe Check Guide, a mental health toolkit for youth.
Writing to school administrators to advocate for more robust and equitable Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) curriculum or reviewing STEM resources to envision themselves in a future STEM career.
Besides making a difference in their own lives and their community, participants were automatically entered to win a $2,000 scholarship courtesy of DoSomething.
At NCAN, we’re proud of what our members do to make a difference. How did you or the students you serve honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.?
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