At The Marin School we encourage and empower our students to learn from and give back to their communities. 

DrawBridge -

As part of TMS' intersession unit, teacher Marianne Owens and students in the Photo Philanthropy course visit scenic locations around San Francisco.  Along the way, they put their photography skills to good cause, capturing vivid digital images from sites like The Japanese Tea Garden, Conservatory of Flowers and the Golden Gate Bridge.  At the end of the week, the students select their favorite shots and create greeting cards featuring their work.  The cards are sold in stores throughout Marin County and San Francisco with the proceeds going to the non-profit DrawBridge, an arts program for homeless children.   

Sierra Leone Project -

In conjunction with Compassion First, English teacher Jonah Weaver spends his summers in Sierra Leone partnering with the Advocacy Movement Network, a local NGO that focuses on advocacy of women and children.  Arriving in Kissi Town, a seaside community about two hours from Freetown, he is joined by Revered James Spencer Sesay who runs the Fountain of Mercy Shelter and Makripodis Secondary School.   The situation at the school and shelter is a struggle: children receive, on average, one meal a day and teachers work despite insufficient funds for salary.  Jonah brings with him donations and clothing from TMS student's Sierra Leone Project Club.  He spends his days in Kissi Town working on an agricultural project that helps supplement students' diets and provides sustainable income for the school.  He also works with the kids at Makripodis Secondary School; teaching and passing out clothing donated by the TMS community.    Once back home, he brings his real world experiences to the classroom and works with students in the TMS Sierra Leone Project Club to raise additional funds for the shelter and school.  In June 2010 TMS students raised over $2455 through their participation in the Xterra Marin Headlands Trail Run.