A heart for others makes all the difference in the world—to those who are facing struggle, to those lending a hand, and to the community at large. Finding effective ways to serve requires creativity, persistence, and doing the hard work, but most of all, it requires compassion as a starting point, says Dr. Stephen Popp, who heads The John Cooper School, an independent K-12 college preparatory school in The Woodlands.
Founded in 1988 to further the vision of The Woodlands’ founder George Mitchell, Popp says community service involvement is deeply ingrained in the school’s ethos.
“These experiences teach our students that leadership isn’t about authority—it’s about showing up for others and building a shared sense of purpose,” says Popp.
What’s most inspiring about the service work these students are doing, explains Popp, is that the school does not require it as part of the curriculum.
“It’s all volunteer,” says Popp. “They’re not just trying to accrue hours or reach an extrinsic goal.”
The role of teachers and administrators is to open the door. Students are eager to cross the threshold and turn their ideas into action.
Projects range from simple acts of giving to complex multi-year initiatives. Many are set in motion through the school’s local chapter of the service and leadership club, Interact. Marivi Mata, one of the club’s faculty sponsors, says students take the lead in planning ways to help the community, and they generate tons of ideas.
“They design every aspect of the project,” says Mata. “They learn that the vision needs to transform into a road map of scaffolded steps to bring the vision to life. To have a long-lasting impact, they have to advocate for what they care about.”
The Habitat Project
One of the most comprehensive projects is the Habitat Project, a student-led, faculty-sponsored partnership with Habitat for Humanity of Montgomery County that began during the 1999-2000 school year with a student proposal, explains Samir Muhith, the school’s Habitat Project faculty sponsor.
From its very beginning, the project has been a school-wide effort, engaging students at all grade levels, along with support from their families and the wider community. Lower school and middle school students raise and donate funds and participate in Paint Day, says Muhith. Upper school students and parents work alongside other volunteers to build affordable housing in Conroe’s Cedar Creek neighborhood. Donning hard hats and wielding hammers and other tools, they help at every phase of construction, building more than two dozen single-family homes over the years.
Muhith says the lasting impact of the Habitat Project extends to the continuing bond between Habitat for Humanity of Montgomery County and the John Cooper community, with alumni and parents playing key roles in the Habitat MCTX mission and growth.
The Fight Against Hunger
Another area of focus, says Mata, is the effort to alleviate hunger. Many students commit to helping Montgomery County Food Bank, says Mata, volunteering at the organization’s main distribution center to sort fresh and shelf-stable foods. Others work with the Montgomery County-based Keep US Fed initiative to collect fresh food each week from Whole Foods and other grocers. Students sort and weigh the food and then deliver it to local food pantries.
Still other students are creating humanitarian aid kits for the RISE Against Hunger program and collecting healthy snacks and decorating bags that go to poverty-stricken school-aged children through the nonprofit Kids Meals, Inc. program.
The time-honored tradition of donating canned goods is taken to a new level when students come together in teams to plan and construct elaborate structures on campus. These structures are made entirely of cans for an annual project held by the international relief organization Canstruction, collecting thousands of cans of food in the process.
Turning Ideas into Action
The annual upper school “Cooper Cares Day” is a full academic day set aside specifically for putting service projects into action through school clubs and organizations, says Mata.
On this special day and throughout the year, she explains, wherever there is a need, John Cooper students are finding ways to get to work: ensuring that Christmas gifts are under the tree for those in need as part of the Salvation Army’s Angel Tree Program; sponsoring an annual fundraising event for the Empty Bowls Project of Interfaith Ministries of The Woodlands; providing creative art outreach at senior living facilities through the school’s chapter of the National Art Honor Society; teaching STEM skills to preschoolers at The Woodlands Children’s Museum; and collecting and packing medical supplies through the school’s Medical and Professionals Club.
Some of the most important impacts are apparent in the area of mental health, says Mata. John Cooper’s learning framework combines the RULER emotional intelligence model with the work of Active Minds, a leading nonprofit that promotes mental health awareness and education. Students meet regularly throughout the year and host events that bring mental health needs to light and strengthen support among students, parents, and teachers.
All of these efforts are making an impact, says Popp, and the community recently expressed its appreciation when, in 2024, The John Cooper School was honored with the prestigious Hometown Hero award by Interfaith Ministries, acknowledging the school’s deep commitment to service and academic excellence.
More Than Words on a Wall
Popp says that John Cooper’s mission of creating the leaders of tomorrow is exemplified by the time, energy, and creativity that students put into their service commitments.
“Our mission statement is not simply words on a wall,” says Mata.
He said the school’s philosophy reaches back to its namesake, longtime educator and founder, Dr. John Cooper, who believed that service should stand alongside academics, the arts, and athletics as a cornerstone of educating the whole child. In fact, research indicates that young people who volunteer and continue to do so into adulthood are building crucial life skills that lead to greater personal and career satisfaction, according to work published by the American Medical Association.
There may be no better symbol of the exuberant nature of student generosity and service than the annual Lower School John Cooper Day celebration, says Jessica Holloway, the school’s director of marketing and communications, who helps to organize the event.
Many alumni make a point of returning for the festivities, which in recent years have included a pet food and supply drive for Abandoned Animal Rescue, assembling breakfast bags for Meals on Wheels of Montgomery County, and creating artwork to express appreciation to school staff. Holloway says the day culminates with the Kinder-Senior Procession, a cherished tradition that signifies the journey from elementary student to high school graduate, from curiosity to wisdom, the ongoing quest to reach higher and to help others do the same.
“The experience of community engagement becomes part of them,” says Popp, “something that will stay with them forever.”