Todd Bernstein ’69 addressed Greene Street Friends School's faculty and staff on Wednesday, highlighting the importance of community service as an element of a well-rounded education.  He noted the value of using not only Greene Street's campus as a place to learn, but the broader classroom of Germantown.

Todd is the Founder and President of Global Citizen, the organization that hosts the Greater Philadelphia Martin Luther King Day of Service, the largest MLK Day event in the nation. Service learning began early for Todd as he participated in school activities like Trick or Treat for UNICEF. After graduating from Greene Street Friends in sixth grade, Todd attended Abington Friends School where he participated in Hurricane Agnes relief efforts as a volunteer. Todd's life's work exemplifies service to others. 

Todd's visit corresponded with an afternoon of community service in which faculty and staff worked with neighborhood organizations including Face to Face, Whosoever Gospel Mission, and Happy Hollow Recreation Center.  This year marks the first time that Greene Street has had a committee devoted to community service that meets on a monthly basis.  Their goal is to develop a curriculum that encourages more service learning at GSFS in an integrated way.  As such, students help choose and research their class service project and reflect on their experiences together as a group.