One of the hallmarks of a Hutchison girl is a genuine interest in connecting with the community and having a meaningful impact on others. Servant leadership is an important aspect of the Hutchison experience.
Hutchison Serves connects classroom learning with service in the real world. Girls will discover that the concepts and ideas they are discussing in the classroom, whether in their history, science, or English classes, have relationships to issues in the community. Girls in all school divisions, from Early Childhood to Upper School, work on developmentally appropriate service-learning activities and topics. Older girls are encouraged to take part in hands-on service opportunities on campus and in the community. Hutchison Serves seeks to empower students to make a difference in the lives of others, both locally and globally, inspire them to be change agents in their communities, and instill a lifelong interest in philanthropy.
Hutchison Serves was created by a generous gift from Kirby Dobbs Floyd, Hutchison class of 1982, and her husband Glenn Floyd.
Providing Service Learning & Leadership Opportunities
Girls are given the autonomy and support to research, design, propose, and implement their own sustainable service project in collaboration with a local non-profit organization. Through this work, girls are able to practice project management and financial literacy and learn more about themselves, their community, and the issues they are tackling. They also learn valuable leadership lessons that they can apply to everyday life. The Wilson Society at Hutchison was established by the Kemmons Wilson Family Foundation.
One of the cornerstones of Hutchison Serves is the Philanthropic Literacy Board. Upper school girls build and manage an endowment fund and then determine how to distribute grants to Memphis-area nonprofits. Participating on the board, girls will learn about the formidable responsibilities that come with how and why particular projects and organizations receive funding.
Hutchison girls meet with, plan, and work together with many of Memphis’ nonprofit and community organizations. These partnerships involve all ages of Hutchison girls. In the early childhood division, girls take part in an annual Trike-a-Thon to raise money for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. In middle school, girls work at the Mid-South Food Bank. In the upper school, girls take part in larger service projects with Memphis organizations such as Refugee Empowerment Program and Streets Ministries.
Our Partners
ADS (Alzheimer’s and Dementia Services) Balmoral Baptist Women’s Memorial Hospital Bellevue Tennis Center Berclair Elementary Big Brothers Big Sisters Bing Dance House Binghampton Christian Academy & Humane Society Binghampton Christian Center Bridge Builders Church Health at Crosstown Concourse Company d FedEx Family House Forrest Spence Fund Girl Scouts Harrah’s Hope Lodge Kroc Center LeBonheur Children’s Hospital Main Library MIFA Mitsubishi Electric Multi-National Ministries Promise Academy Refugee Empowerment Program Regional One Health Second Presbyterian Church Second Presbyterian Ministries Sharpe Elementary School Southern Friends Animal Society Southern Reins Streets Ministries Su Casa The Dixon Art Gallery White Station Elementary School Women’s Foundation of Greater Memphis
Girls in all grade level divisions find connections between their curriculum and service. Topics such as wellness, social justice, and education and empowerment are used to frame service activities. See the video to learn more about the types of service learning curriculum integrated within our classrooms.
The Kirby and Glenn Floyd Excellence in Service Scholarship Award is awarded annually to a Hutchison girl whose service efforts create lasting, positive changes in the community. Considerations for the selection of a winning project include the girl’s commitment to sustainability, overall impact, innovation, and servant leadership. The award winner may focus on a project that is local, national, and/or global in focus and implementation. Those seeking the Floyd Award and Scholarship should exemplify a genuine heart to serve others. All Hutchison girls in Early Childhood, Lower School, Middle School, and Upper School are eligible to apply.
The award includes a $5,000 college scholarship in recognition of the award winner’s significant achievement in service.