Milton Hershey School Students Give Back in Kentucky

This summer, 16 Milton Hershey School middle and high school students along with three chaperones traveled to Floyd County, Kentucky for a domestic service learning experience. Since January 2022, Floyd County has been hit by multiple devastating floods that washed out roads and covered the area with mud and debris. It’s an area that, according to U.S. Census data, the poverty rate is more than 20 percent. MHS students spent four days completing service projects in some of the hardest hit areas—bringing joy and hope to those around them.

“We are most excited about the work at the Floyd County Community Center,” said MHS Southeast Admissions Counselor, Sara White. “It closed during the global pandemic and is hoping to reopen their after-school program called Camp Noah. The camp is for students in kindergarten through fifth grade who have been impacted by the recent natural disasters. We also partnered with the Friends of Jenny Wiley State Park—which opened its doors to flood victims. Our students helped rebuild the trails and cabins that were wiped out last year.”

The students and staff also used the opportunity to share information about MHS with local families. The students used their experiences growing up in search of opportunity to connect with the people they met.

“It’s important that MHS does trips like this because it is easy to exist in a bubble of only the people you know,” said MHS rising junior Hailey Peregrin. “It’s important not to forget that there is a whole world of people out there who are struggling financially, with food insecurity.”

MHS rising senior Tawiah Amanor added, “We are very fortunate that we live in a place that is safe and all our needs are met. Other communities need our help, and we have a lot to offer.”

Through the domestic service learning experience, MHS students learn to empathize with others, give back to the communities around them, and gain strong character and leadership skills—a large part of the educational curriculum at MHS.

This is the third year that MHS has hosted a domestic service learning experience but the first in Kentucky.

View photos from the trip:

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