As the school year kicks off at Lake Forest Academy, students return to campus with both excitement and nerves. Many are thrilled to reconnect with friends, meet new people, and enjoy being back on campus during preseason, without the pressure of classes. Besides the regular athletic preseason that students participate in, LFA introduced a new service learning program. These activities, such as book sorting and food packing, allows students who moved in early to deepen their engagement with the community and enhance their educational experience during preseason.
The idea for a service learning program in the preseason came from Jennifer Rundles, the Dean of Students. “She wanted to get every student to get involved in at least one activity if they are neither in a fall sports team or theater”, said Roxanne Kruger.
This experience also ensures that boarders and day students have equal opportunity to join the LFA community smoothly During preseason, LFA partnered with organizations such as Service and Learning Together, also known as SaLT and Bernie’s Book Bank. During service learning, students did two sessions with SaLT and activities such as book sorting with Bernie’s Book Bank. what did these sessions include
The preseason service learning project differs from the service project students do in their sophomore year Health and Wellness. Specifically, in class, service projects focus on learning through the planning process, and the concepts behind helping community members and students’ identities, which lead to the final fundraisers or volunteering activities. For example, fundraising for book donations and after school activities with students from A.J. Katzenmaier Academy. On the other hand, the preseason service learning emphasized on the importance of volunteering, and students can learn from the process of caring. Students can especially learn from interacting with the two directors of SaLT who were former teachers at both Highland Park High School and Lake Forest High School. With this experience, the directors made the program education-based, which has a solid introduction for all volunteers and helped them to reflect on what they achieve after packing foods for families in need.
Juno Kim ’25, shared his excitement about returning to preseason, noting that the absence of academic pressure and the chance to focus on sports made the experience enjoyable, “It feels great to be back, especially with the new athletic center opening up,” he said. Kim also reflected on the importance of community, expressing his desire to help incoming freshmen and transfer students adjust. “As a transfer student, I remember how overwhelming it was at first, and now I have the chance to guide them through it.” This sense of bonding and mentorship adds another layer of connection as LFA students kick off a new year.
