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Spartan News
Why Giving Back is Really Good for You
The capital campaign feasibility study we did two years ago recommended that Miami Country Day should grow the culture of philanthropy at the school. As a result, understanding and educating our school community about the importance of giving to independent schools continues to be one of my major initiatives as the Head of School. I was struck by a comment that one of our consultants made. She noted one of the true hallmarks of a culture of philanthropy is “joyful giving.” As I explored the meaning of philanthropy and how to grow a culture of philanthropy, I discovered just how much truth there was in the consultant’s observation. People give for many reasons ranging from a deep sense of altruism to a much needed tax deduction. Despite our motivation for giving, most of us, even when we give out of a sense of obligation, experience a good feeling.
I’m pretty philosophical about philanthropy. When you throw good things out into the universe, good things come back to you. I can honestly say that when my family gives to Country Day or one of the other causes we support, we’re pretty joyful about it. This community did so much for our children during their 14 years at Country Day that it really is a joy to be able to give back.
Thanks to new technologies like fMRI, neuroscientists are doing some really interesting research these days on the human brain. If you can think of a question about the human brain there’s a pretty good bet somebody is somewhere is studying it. Currently, two of the areas in which some fascinating research is being conducted are compassion and altruism. Stanford University hosts the Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education (CCARE). The Center is devoted to conducting rigorous scientific studies on compassion and altruism and creating educational programs to help both the individual and society cultivate both of these qualities. Compassion, one of Miami Country Day’s Core Values is defined by the school as, “acting towards others with empathy, care, acceptance and understanding. Altruism is generally understood as selflessness or unselfish concern for others.
This summer I picked up my friend’s WSJ. When I pulled out the book review section the words “Hard-Wired for GIVING” splashed across C1 in bold letters immediately got my attention. The article was adapted from a new book entitled, What Makes a Hero? The Surprising Science of Selflessness, by Elizabeth Svoboda. Svoboda’s book explores studies conducted by professors at CCARE as well as others researchers exploring how the reward centers of the brain react when individuals perform acts of generosity. This research is helping us to understand the biological hardware, to use the author’s language, that give human beings the capacity for altruism and compassion. What I found particularly interesting was the way the brain reacted during experiments in which some individuals acted generously even when it was counter to their best interest. Svoboda concludes, “Generosity is inherently rewarding: The brain churns out a pleasurable response when we engage in it.”
When I talk about what a culture of philanthropy, I always make it a point to remind people that philanthropy is not just about being generous with one’s financial resources. In fact, for many of us, our most precious resource is not material resources but time. Volunteering is often an expression of our generosity, compassion or altruism. Over the last 25 years, considerable research has been conducted on the impact of volunteering and community service. This research is both compelling and encouraging. Service to others impacts our emotional wellbeing making us more joyful, optimistic. It not only makes us feel good but it’s also good for our health. There is a strong relationship between volunteering and lower mortality rates, greater functional ability, and lower depression. Interestingly, as we get older, the positive impact of volunteering is more pronounced. Who doesn’t want to feel good and live longer?
As part of our 75th Anniversary Celebration we are going to have an all-school Day of Service on Saturday, February 8. It is the Country Day School community’s opportunity to give back to our larger community. Our goal is to involve every Country Day student and family in this day of service. In addition we will transform our community service into an amazing learning opportunity for our students, i.e., service learning. Community service can be transformed into service learning by creating a learning experience in which students are provided with some instruction before they participate in their service project and asked to reflect on their experience afterwards.
There is a learning axiom that states that the more something is tied to the real world the greater the learning. When students experience practical applications of what they have been taught the better they understand and the longer they remember. Returning to brain research, it has much to tell us about how service learning can be such a powerful educational experience. Neuroscientists have demonstrated that new experiences foster neural development. Community service exposes us to new people, things, and ideas which translates into the brain working to make connections to things familiar. This literally drives neurons to reach out and connect with other neurons creating greater neural pathways, which translates into a more meaningful learning experience. As a result, community service not only makes you feel good. It can also make you smarter! Those are two more great reasons why every member of the Country Day family should consider participating in our February 8th all-school community service day. You and your family can play games with children in a homeless shelter, or learn to knit a lap sweater or make a special potted plant for a shut in. Or you might want to help beautify a local park or residence for young people with special needs. With so many possibilities to give back to our community that day, we hope you and your family will find the right one and register today.
Thanks to new technologies like fMRI, neuroscientists are doing some really interesting research these days on the human brain. If you can think of a question about the human brain there’s a pretty good bet somebody is somewhere is studying it. Currently, two of the areas in which some fascinating research is being conducted are compassion and altruism. Stanford University hosts the Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education (CCARE). The Center is devoted to conducting rigorous scientific studies on compassion and altruism and creating educational programs to help both the individual and society cultivate both of these qualities. Compassion, one of Miami Country Day’s Core Values is defined by the school as, “acting towards others with empathy, care, acceptance and understanding. Altruism is generally understood as selflessness or unselfish concern for others.
This summer I picked up my friend’s WSJ. When I pulled out the book review section the words “Hard-Wired for GIVING” splashed across C1 in bold letters immediately got my attention. The article was adapted from a new book entitled, What Makes a Hero? The Surprising Science of Selflessness, by Elizabeth Svoboda. Svoboda’s book explores studies conducted by professors at CCARE as well as others researchers exploring how the reward centers of the brain react when individuals perform acts of generosity. This research is helping us to understand the biological hardware, to use the author’s language, that give human beings the capacity for altruism and compassion. What I found particularly interesting was the way the brain reacted during experiments in which some individuals acted generously even when it was counter to their best interest. Svoboda concludes, “Generosity is inherently rewarding: The brain churns out a pleasurable response when we engage in it.”
When I talk about what a culture of philanthropy, I always make it a point to remind people that philanthropy is not just about being generous with one’s financial resources. In fact, for many of us, our most precious resource is not material resources but time. Volunteering is often an expression of our generosity, compassion or altruism. Over the last 25 years, considerable research has been conducted on the impact of volunteering and community service. This research is both compelling and encouraging. Service to others impacts our emotional wellbeing making us more joyful, optimistic. It not only makes us feel good but it’s also good for our health. There is a strong relationship between volunteering and lower mortality rates, greater functional ability, and lower depression. Interestingly, as we get older, the positive impact of volunteering is more pronounced. Who doesn’t want to feel good and live longer?
As part of our 75th Anniversary Celebration we are going to have an all-school Day of Service on Saturday, February 8. It is the Country Day School community’s opportunity to give back to our larger community. Our goal is to involve every Country Day student and family in this day of service. In addition we will transform our community service into an amazing learning opportunity for our students, i.e., service learning. Community service can be transformed into service learning by creating a learning experience in which students are provided with some instruction before they participate in their service project and asked to reflect on their experience afterwards.
There is a learning axiom that states that the more something is tied to the real world the greater the learning. When students experience practical applications of what they have been taught the better they understand and the longer they remember. Returning to brain research, it has much to tell us about how service learning can be such a powerful educational experience. Neuroscientists have demonstrated that new experiences foster neural development. Community service exposes us to new people, things, and ideas which translates into the brain working to make connections to things familiar. This literally drives neurons to reach out and connect with other neurons creating greater neural pathways, which translates into a more meaningful learning experience. As a result, community service not only makes you feel good. It can also make you smarter! Those are two more great reasons why every member of the Country Day family should consider participating in our February 8th all-school community service day. You and your family can play games with children in a homeless shelter, or learn to knit a lap sweater or make a special potted plant for a shut in. Or you might want to help beautify a local park or residence for young people with special needs. With so many possibilities to give back to our community that day, we hope you and your family will find the right one and register today.
