At the end of January, 10 of the dancers on the McLean varsity dance team volunteered at Stanton Elementary School to teach third grade students about dance and science, and the importance of the two. The dancers were accompanied by four fellow McLean students who wanted to volunteer as well on that teacher workday.

The group of McLean volunteers spent the whole day at the school and went through different activities that involved dance and science for the entirety of the day. One of the dancers, freshman Leila Ilkanhoff, spent the day with the children teaching them about dance.

“I worked at the dance station, where the kids and I warmed up, and my teammates and I taught them a routine,” Ilkanhoff said.

The event at the school was STEAM@Stanton. This event combined movement and dance with hands-on science activities.

Many of the students had no prior dance background, but the volunteers managed to teach them a routine that would have them executing the basics of the art form.

Stanton Elementary School is a part of the DC Scholars Community Schools network which is a group of schools in the Southeast D.C. area that partner with the community to provide a high-quality education to its student and to provide them with more resources in their community. These schools often partner with social services, youth development organizations and community activists to give the students a comprehensive learning environment.

Another organization at McLean volunteers at Stanton over the course of the school year. This is the Speak Up Initiative which helps students in under-privileged areas become more confident with their public speaking.

It was a fulfilling experience for the volunteers as they were able to make a difference in the lives of students who are not in the most optimal, and even safe, environments. Often times, the students in the southeast area of D.C. are not provided with a safe environment, and so a day with the volunteers gave them a new way to learn and people to look up to.

“The best part of the experience was being able to make the kids happy by letting them have a fun time while dancing,” Ilkanhoff said.

The students at Stanton Elementary School were not the only ones who came out of this experience feeling better and rewarded, the volunteers felt positive sentiments as well.

“I would definitely [volunteer at Stanton] again because it was rewarding to be able to share my passion for dance with these young kids,” Ilkanhoff said. Helping them made me feel very happy because I was able to incorporate some fun into their day and make them smile.”

It was an experience that the volunteers would love to have again. Stanton Elementary School as likewise been able to experience the benefits of the full day of fun.