Lion Term III Form
by Joanna Cheng ‘29
From March 9th to March 13th, students at St. Mark's stepped beyond the traditional classroom to participate in Lion Term. Lion Term is an annual five day experiential learning program where all students engage in a Form-based courses designed to engage in immersive, interdisciplinary, hands-on, responsive learning. For freshmen, Lion Term centered on the question: What is Service Learning?
Over the course of five days, my classmates and I moved between classroom lectures and off campus fieldwork. We began with lesson plans on food insecurity and housing insecurities, learning about the systemic causes behind these urgent issues. We also had the honor of hearing from Rwick Sarkar (2019 graduate from St.Mark’s School), a Food Project Youth Manager. Rwick spoke about how young people like us can meaningfully address hunger in local communities. From there, we put our learning into action.
Our group traveled to multiple service sites. At the Habitat for Humanity ReStore, we helped organize secondhand furniture and household goods. At Vets Inc., we sorted and organized donated items for veterans. At the Marlborough Community Cupboard, we arranged clothing donations. At Urban Missionaries, we similarly sorted secondhand items for those in need. At the end of the week, we ended with reflection sessions, in which we mapped out our community commitments and shared how our experiences connected to larger civic responsibilities.
I will admit, however, that I began the week with uncertainty. Before Lion Term, I viewed community service as something done primarily to fulfill a requirement. I had wondered whether short-term volunteer work could truly make a difference and I questioned whether my own efforts would matter at all.
However, I saw how small acts, from sorting clothes, organizing donations, listening to community leaders, directly support real people. My perspective shifted. After one of the sessions, I heard a staff member praise us for our efficiency, and how it had made a shopping room accessible for families was a powerful moment.
Lion Term is more than a week of activities, it is rooted in "the power of experience to transform understanding." For me, that transformation was personal. I entered the week with biases I did not even know I had and left with a sense of my own responsibility. Lion Term did not just teach me about food insecurity or housing. It taught me that service is meaningful.
Rwick Sarkar’s presentation
Students working at Habitat for Humanity ReStore
Students at Vets Inc.
