Messiah College to commemorate Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday with service and educational experiences in Harrisburg
January 16th, 2009
GRANTHAM, Pa. (Jan. 16, 2009) — Messiah College invites your coverage of its fourth annual Dr. King Community Engagement Day on Jan. 19th, an event involving 60 students, faculty and staff celebrating King’s life and vision through a variety of service and educational activities in Harrisburg. Funding for the day’s activities is courtesy of a grant from Sovereign Bank and the Agape Center for Service & Learning at Messiah College.
City tour – 9:15 a.m. to 10:45 a.m.
Participants will embark on a tour of the city to include the downtown, midtown, uptown and Allison Hill communities. This driving tour of Harrisburg was created in a collaborative effort between students of Messiah College and the City of Harrisburg to provide an experience where participants learn about the city’s social groups and structures, history, politics, economics, civil rights movement, entertainment and other attractions. Messiah College student coordinator Amanda Arbour trained students to lead the tour.
Panel discussion and lunch with community leaders – 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Following the tour, participants will gather at SciTech High (215 Market Street) to hear from Frederick Jones, eighth grade teacher at Camp Curtain Elementary School, Harrisburg, who will be sharing about King’s vision for education – this year’s commemoration week theme. Presenting short speeches on the same topic will be a number of Jones’ toastmaster students.
Community service activities – 1:40 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Participants will travel to one of several community partners for an afternoon of service projects including:
• Allison Hill Community Ministry (1508 Derry Street) to assist with various tasks related to the after-school program, food pantry and summer day camp preparation. Students will hear how this organization engages with children and youth in Allison Hill via the C.A.R.E. Afterschool Program and summer camp.
• Center for Champions (113 South 13th Street) to assist with cleaning the facility of this afterschool program. Students will hear how this organization engages with children and youth in Allison Hill via the afterschool program and summer camp.
For more information on Messiah College’s commemoration of King, visit www.messiah.edu/mlk.