Contributed by Colin Lee, Menlo-Atherton High School Service Learning Center
Thousands of people from across the country gathered in Washington D.C. for the 2026 Points of Light Conference in late June. The annual conference brought service leaders together to share innovations, advance impact, and build connections. As members of Menlo-Atherton High School’s Service Learning Center, the event gave us an opportunity to connect with other service initiatives and learn from diverse experiences. The conference was both humbling and transformative, equipping us with valuable lessons to bring back to our own community.
The opening ceremony set the tone for the entire event, reminding us that even ordinary people can make extraordinary impacts. At a time where division and isolation are increasingly prevalent, service serves as a powerful tool to unite communities around a shared mission: creating positive change. For young people in particular, service can help us find a sense of belonging, especially during a stage of life when things can feel overwhelming.
Throughout the event, we had the opportunity to listen to and meet a variety of service leaders from diverse backgrounds, finding new ways to apply service learning and engage with our communities. For example, we learned how to volunteer with a purpose by listening to our community’s needs and using storytelling to build connections and create meaning. We realized that meaningful service goes beyond simply volunteering. Through thoughtful reflection, we can make a deeper impact, develop valuable skills, and deeply knit service into our lives.
During the Lightning Talks event, we presented our own Service Learning Center to other attendees. In our presentation, we shared how our program opens doors for students to collaborate, learn through service, and bring their ideas to life, creating meaningful change in our community. Although some of us felt nervous at first, presenting was incredibly rewarding as audience members shared their own related experiences and offered useful advice.
As we continue our service project, we plan to apply new technologies, respond to our community’s needs, use reflection to spark growth, and encourage creativity. There are so many different opportunities to incorporate new ideas and technologies into our community and beyond. By combining innovation with reflection, we can strengthen our impact and inspire change amongst others.
We greatly appreciated the flexibility of the conference, which allowed us to move between sessions and make the most of our limited time. The conference also gave us a valuable opportunity to bond, as many of us barely knew each other before the conference. Overall, our Service Learning Center benefited greatly from the conference. We returned home with stronger relationships, new perspectives, and fresh ideas to make service more meaningful.
We encourage anyone with an interest in service to participate in the next Service Learning Conference and experience its inspiring impact first-hand.
Please enjoy more photos from this year’s Points of Light Annual Conference, which featured NYLC’s National Service-Learning Conference this year in Washington D.C. in our Flickr album.