5 Inspiring Projects From St. Margaret’s Moseley Venture to Serve

Each year, St. Margaret’s proudly supports the service aspirations of the school community through the William N. Moseley Venture to Serve. 

Now in its third year, the Moseley Venture to Serve was announced in 2023 to set in perpetuity St. Margaret’s commitment to service learning. Named in honor of former Head of School Will Moseley, the program commits money each year to fund the annual All-School Service Learning Project, as well as a service venture fund. 

The service venture fund supports Tartans who are passionate about serving the community, have a great idea for launching a service project, and need financial assistance to realize their vision. Students, alumni and professional community can apply to fund projects go beyond the scope of the day-to-day school programming. 

During the 2025-2026 school year, more than 30 service projects were completed through the Moseley Venture to Serve, which impacted the community in a number of different ways. 

“The St. Margaret’s mission calls us to educate the hearts and minds of young people for lives of service," said Victor Cota, St. Margaret's director of equity and inclusion who oversees the program. "Our hope is that when students graduate from our school, they will be inspired and prepared to serve their communities and the people in their lives. Through the Venture to Serve program, Tartans are provided an opportunity to practice service learning. They tap into their passions, explore the systems and structures that make the world go round, and learn to meet authentic needs in a hands-on, experiential manner. We believe that the best way to shape a life of service is to go out there and do it!”

 

Here are a few examples of Moseley Venture to Serve projects that impacted the local community. The application for the 2026-2027 school year will open soon; stay tuned for more information on the Moseley Venture to Serve and how you can be a part of this cherished St. Margaret’s program. 

 

Organized by Upper School student Addy Oh, the Timeless Friends Project was a way to bridge connections between St. Margaret’s students and residents of nearby Capistrano Senior Living. The project involved Addy organizing a monthly pen pal program involving eight students and eight senior residents. She personally delivered the letters to Capistrano Senior Living and helped the residents read and respond to the letters during her visits. 

“The project was so impactful for me because it made me realize that even across generations, friendships can be formed and people are really more similar than you might think, no matter their age,” Addy reflected.

 

Middle School student Catie Min turned a creative outlet into a program designed to help others. Using her love of crochet, Catie created an exhibition crocheting pieces that were meaningful expressions of her relationship with her late grandmother. 

As part of the exhibition, Catie set up a donation drive benefiting the Korean American Family Services in support of Korean-American adoptees. She also crocheted dolls to give to children in adoption and foster care. 

“Through this project, I learned that something I enjoy doing can also make a difference for other people,” Catie said. “Crochet has always been a creative outlet for me, but this project gave it a deeper meaning. Creating my exhibition and raising money to support Korean-American adoptees and foster families showed me that even a personal hobby can become a way to serve my community.”

 

St. Margaret’s alumna Coco Johnson ’25 and her mother, St. Margaret’s grade 1 teacher Lauren Johnson, organized the collection and distribution of personal care and hygiene products to community members facing hardship. The Johnsons partnered with Welcome Inn to ensure the resources reached families in need. 

“Leading the Welcome Inn Personal Initiative taught us valuable skills in project management, problem-solving and adaptability,” they shared afterward. “We discovered that taking initiative isn’t just about organizing supplies. It requires active listening, resilience and a deep commitment to serving others with dignity.”

 

Upper School students and brothers Luke Meggers and Nick Meggers hosted a financial literacy camp at Youth Centers of Orange with a goal to make learning about money both engaging and accessible for younger students. They taught students foundational concepts including saving, budgeting, investing and financial decision-making through interactive lessons, games and group activities.

“Working directly with students reminded us why we started this project,” they shared. “Seeing students become more interested and confident in financial topics made the work behind developing, revising and delivering our programs worthwhile.”

 

Upper School students Amy Yao and Chris Tang has grown their educational program, Curious Chemists, with help from the Moseley Venture to Serve. Amy and Chris work with elementary-age students who are second-language English learners by designing and teaching lessons to foster a love of chemistry.

Since February, the two have led more than 70 sessions in eight different schools, including an international school. 

“Through this project, I realized I could build my own system. I can set roles, organize people, solve problems and decide how things should run through collaboration,” Amy said. “I also learned how much I enjoy bringing people and knowledge together.”