MMI Preparatory School Students Participate in Annual Athena Ford ’01 Day of Service

For their Day of Service, MMI’s seventh graders, pictured above, visited the Freeland Public Park to rake and bag leaves. The students also painted an outside wall at the Freeland YMCA.

MMI Preparatory School students fanned out across the Greater Hazleton region on Tuesday, October 21, for the annual Athena Ford ’01 Day of Service. This tradition, begun in the fall of 2017, unites all grade levels in hands-on volunteer work to honor the legacy of alumna Athena Ford, Class of 2001.

Nearly 200 students worked at multiple community sites, while others focused on large-scale cleanup projects on MMI’s own campus. Projects included trail maintenance at Greater Hazleton Rails-to-Trails, grounds work with MMI’s Maintenance Department, clean-up work at the Pennsylvania Theatre of Performing Arts, volunteering at the Hazleton Art League and the Chamber of Commerce, painting at Freeland YMCA, leaf clean-up at the Freeland Public Park, numerous projects at the Hazleton Integration Project, outdoor winterizing efforts at Butler Township Community Garden, service projects at Eckley Miners’ Village, and site work at the Coxe Home.

MMI’s senior class, some of whom are pictured above, volunteered at the Hazleton Art League and the Greater Hazleton Chamber of Commerce alongside their advisors. At the Hazleton Art League, the students spent time cleaning and organizing to get the building looking its best. Another group assembled candy giveaways at the Chamber for Hazleton’s annual Trail of Treats.

Head of School Mrs. Theresa Long emphasized the importance of service as a formative part of an MMI education: “Service is not an event at MMI; it is part of how we teach leadership and empathy. The Athena Ford ’01 Day of Service reminds our students that they have the ability, the responsibility, and the opportunity to make their communities better. Athena’s life inspires our students to act with compassion and to understand that even small acts of service leave a lasting impact.”

*Some students, like these tenth graders pictured above with Head of School Mrs. Theresa Long, stayed on campus to work on various cleanup projects.*

The event is supported through The Athena S. Ford ’01 Endowed Fund for Community Service, established by members of the Class of 2001 in memory of their classmate, whose life was marked by advocacy, empathy, and public leadership.

*The eleventh-grade class, pictured above with their advisors, volunteered at Greater Hazleton Rails-to-Trails.*

Faculty and staff advisors accompanied students at each site, and community partners provided project oversight and materials at all locations. Following the conclusion of service work, students returned to campus for lunch and reflection before resuming afternoon classes.

*Above: Ninth graders Brayden Hoover and Neal DeAngelo clean windows at Eckley Miners’ Village.*

The Day of Service remains a defining demonstration of MMI’s mission to cultivate character, civic engagement, and responsibility in every student.