GMSA @ 9 Medal for a Cause: Summer of Service

SAN ANTONIO – In the week leading up to Fiesta, and the days during, GMSA @ 9 will feature a Fiesta medal that is giving back to the San Antonio community. 

While there are surely a slew of medals with proceeds going entirely back to good causes, we are highlighting at least 12 causes you can support with your purchase of a medal.

Today's medal is the worldliest of the bunch, you could say. 

Monday April 22: Summer of Service

Summer of Service, or SOS, was founded in 2014. Their mission is to empower young people to become positive change-makers in their community. 

Each year, students are offered opportunities to study abroad. They return to San Antonio and are able to use what they learned in their communities and volunteering.  Each traveler is required to serve at least 15 hours of community service. SOS says most do more than the required amount. Since the program's start, students have served more than 10,000 hours with 30 organizations.

This summer, 32 students will travel to Darmstadt, Germany. Darmstadt is one of San Antonio's sister cities and has been since 2017. According to SOS, this is the first group to go to Darmstadt since the cities joined in partnership.

SOS will also send 19 travelers to the Dominican Republic for the Women's Leadership Program and a group of 42 travelers to England and France. 

SOS is open to middle and high school students. 

Money raised by Fiesta medal purchases goes help fund the travels for these students. According to SOS, more than 70% of students participating attend Title I schools.

By the Numbers

  • More than 500 students actively serving in San Antonio
  • More than 400 students have traveled abroad
  • 14 countries visited
  • 11 trips

You can purchase the medal for $10 on the Summer of Service website

Learn more about the program here