Primer Students Serve Their Community through Annual Birthday Party Project Service Drive
October 26, 2026
Our Primer students continue to set the bar high with community service learning, as their dedication to their annual donation drive for The Birthday Party Project (TBPP) resulted in another amazing haul: 980 items collected. This Dallas-based nonprofit brings the joy of a birthday party to children experiencing homelessness, complete with cake, games, and gifts.
Primer Teacher and donation drive coordinator Melissa Campbell noted that the drive resonated deeply: “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 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, perfectly blending compassion and curriculum.
Our Primer students collected 501 rolls of crepe paper streams, 84 bags of balloons, 110 party hats, 65 strings of birthday bunting, 70 sets of paper goods, 11 tablecloths, 27 packages of party favors, 64 gift wrapping supplies (wrapping paper, bags, tissue paper, or tape), and 48 other assorted party decorations.
“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 community service learning and deep empathy can all start with some of our youngest students.
