Dublin Scioto High students lead community service efforts that enhance leadership and personal growth

At Dublin Scioto High School, service clubs are fostering confidence and leadership among students by engaging them in meaningful outreach beyond the classroom, with lasting impacts on both the community and their personal development.

At Dublin Scioto High School, service clubs are doing more than filling calendars. They are helping students build confidence, practise leadership and find a sense of belonging through work that reaches beyond the classroom, according to CityScene Columbus. Teachers and advisers say the appeal lies in student ownership: young people choose causes they care about, then turn that interest into practical action that benefits the wider community.

John Witt, a social studies teacher who advises the school’s Interact Club and Purple Star Club, says that approach gives the programmes their strength. He describes the groups as student-led efforts that begin with personal commitment and grow into a school culture shaped by service. Dublin City Schools’ own listings show that Scioto offers a range of clubs and activities, including Interact and Purple Star, with a clear focus on community service and leadership development. Wider research on community-based learning backs up that model, linking service work with real-world application, critical thinking and personal growth.

For students such as Anna Norfleet, a senior and Purple Star Club leader, the lessons are both emotional and practical. The Purple Star Club focuses on recognising and supporting military members, veterans and their families through events such as Military Appreciation Nights, veteran story gatherings, cards and care packages. Norfleet says the experience has strengthened her leadership skills and even influenced her interest in ROTC in college, while showing her how service can create a visible and lasting effect on other people’s lives.

The clubs’ reach extends well beyond school grounds. The Dublin A.M. Rotary supports the Interact clubs and helps connect students with local organisations, including the Dublin Food Pantry and One Dublin, while Purple Star students have also worked with veterans’ networks and community groups. CityScene says those partnerships have included the Dublin Historical Society, the Dublin Chamber of Commerce, the League of Women Voters, the Byron Saunders Foundation, the American Red Cross, the local American Legion, the National Veterans Memorial and Museum and Cardinal Health. Witt says the impact is often cumulative, with many former students continuing to stay involved long after graduation, a pattern that reflects the broader benefits of service-learning described by university and student leadership programmes.