On a recent FLEX Day, Alcuin Upper School ninth and tenth graders spent the day at Cigarroa Elementary School in Dallas, working alongside third- and sixth-grade students to create a permanent mural reflecting the school’s core values, known as the Cowboy Commitments. What emerged was more than a finished wall. It was a shared experience, one built on listening, collaboration, and responsibility.

The project is part of Alcuin School’s sustained collaboration with United to Learn, a nonprofit organization that supports Dallas ISD campuses through long-term, community-centered initiatives. Together, Alcuin students and United to Learn focus on meaningful engagement, work that is structured, intentional, and designed to last beyond a single moment.

At Alcuin, service learning is embedded in the Upper School curriculum. Through FLEX Days and ongoing partnerships, students step into real-world contexts, contribute thoughtfully, and reflect on their role within a larger community. These experiences are not designed to check a box. They are designed to build competence, perspective, and agency.

The mural at Cigarroa Elementary will remain long after the paint has dried. For Alcuin students, the learning continues, in the form of relationships strengthened, assumptions challenged, and a deeper understanding of what it means to show up well in the world.

The project was recently featured by NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth.