The Gift of Giving: How IB Students Spread Holiday Cheer All Year Long

‘Tis the season of giving — but for Hillsborough County’s International Baccalaureate (IB) schools, the spirit of service shines bright all year long.

An IB education goes beyond textbooks and tests. It nurtures the whole child — encouraging students to understand their place in the world and their power to make it better. During the holidays, that mission comes alive through creative acts of kindness that remind everyone what the season is truly about.

Walker Middle Magnet: Compassion in Action

At Walker Middle Magnet, a 100% magnet IB World School (shown in featured image), students bring service to life in meaningful ways. With children from 60 different elementary schools and 33 languages spoken at home, Walker’s community reflects the diversity of Tampa Bay — and its heart for helping others.

“In October, we brought several animal shelters onto campus,” says Josephine Corder, IB Middle Years Program Coordinator. “Students collected food, bedding and toys, and when the shelters came to pick up the donations, they brought animals so students could adopt right there on campus.”

This season, Walker students are teaming up with the Jingle Bell Run to benefit the Arthritis Foundation. Not only are they participating in the event, but they’re also learning about arthritis — especially how it affects children — and sharing that knowledge with their families to encourage community involvement.

For the holidays, students are using their talents to brighten lives. “Some are making bracelets and cards for children spending the holidays in the hospital,” Corder says. “Others are learning to play chess so they can visit local nursing homes and connect with residents through a shared game.”

Eighth grader Luke Klipp sums it up perfectly: “Sometimes people forget how much others care about them, and I really love to remind them.”

Adum PreK–8 Magnet: Learning by Giving

As one of Hillsborough County’s newest IB Candidate Schools, Adum PreK–8 Magnet is already making a big impact when it comes to community service.

“At Adum, we’re teaching our students to become givers for life,” says Adrienne Rundle, Lead Teacher. “We connect learning to big ideas and encourage students to take meaningful action.”

When wildfires ravaged California last year, Adum’s third graders researched the best way to help. They learned that sending supplies wasn’t practical, so they partnered with a local pizza shop feeding first responders and displaced families — and raised more than $1,300 to support the cause.

This holiday season, sixth-grade math teacher Jessica Alsvig is blending math and empathy in a powerful lesson. “I hand out plates to my students, and one in ten plates is empty,” she explains. “We talk about hunger in our community and what that feels like. Then students use math to adjust recipes to feed 300 people — the number served each night at Trinity Café, which provides free meals to those in need.”

That exercise kicks off Adum’s annual food drive, which supports school families first, then other local schools and finally, community organizations.

“The action connects theory with practice,” says Rundle. “It helps students see that what they’re learning matters — and that they can use it to make a real difference.”

Related:

Kids to Know: Aahan Swain, 7th Grader, Walker Middle Magnet IB World School