Primer Students Lead Record Community Service Drive for The Birthday Party Project
October 17, 2025
Our Primer students have set the bar high, as their dedication to an inaugural donation drive for The Birthday Party Project resulted in an enormous haul: a record-setting 1,690 items collected! Community service learning begins in our earliest grade levels, and Primer completed a smashing first-year donation drive for TBPP. This Dallas-based nonprofit is all about bringing the pure joy of a birthday party to children experiencing homelessness—complete with cake, games, and gifts.
Primer Teacher and donation drive Melissa Campbell noted that the drive resonated deeply because “Primer students universally understand and relate to the joy of a birthday party, which, at ages five, six, and seven, often feels like the most important event in the world. They quickly grasped the call to share their blessings with others, realizing how simple and enjoyable it is to serve.”
This initiative was a comprehensive service lesson disguised as a celebration. Primer didn’t just collect items; they became the engineers of the campaign. They created a festive flyer, filmed a classroom commercial, and designed bright, colorful signs for the collection bins placed throughout the Lower School.
During the week, the students practiced real-world teamwork and organization. Each morning, they transformed their classroom into a service hub, forming assembly lines to empty the bins, divide the supplies, and track the donations using tally marks. When the drive concluded, they confidently calculated the final total using skip counting—a perfect blend of compassion and curriculum.
“My favorite part of our birthday drive was seeing Primer realize the depth of empathy and generosity in their supporting community,” Campbell shared. “It was a joy to watch their eyes light up each morning. This gave them a direct, hands-on view of what a special place ESD is and how many people love and support Primer, ESD, and our wider Dallas community.”
This success is a joyful reminder that sophisticated learning, deep empathy, and serious fun can all start with our smallest students. The 1,690 collected items were delivered to The Birthday Party Project this afternoon—a tangible outcome that makes us all incredibly proud.
