By Torben Heinbockel ‘26
St. Paul’s Upper School – Service Learning Council
This spring, St. Paul’s Upper School took its commitment to service to new heights with the launch of “The St. Paul’s Book Battle”—a schoolwide book drive that collected a remarkable 1,465 books for the Maryland Book Bank, a nonprofit that distributes free books to underserved youth and elder communities throughout Baltimore.
The initiative, led by the Upper School Service Learning Council and organized by student leader Torben Heinbockel ’26, challenged each grade and the faculty to compete in donating the most books. Each group had its own designated drop-off box, and the incentive? A free dress-down day for the winning grade and the faculty if they performed well.
A group photo of the Upper School Service Learning Council, the student-led organization behind the book drive.
Launching the Drive
The book drive launched with enthusiasm and excitement as the Upper School lobby transformed into a colorful display of boxes and posters, encouraging donations across all grade levels. The visual competition added spirit to the halls, and faculty members joined in as equal competitors.
A snapshot of the donation station on its first day, featuring empty collection boxes labeled by grade and a vibrant display to attract student and faculty participation.
A Week of Generosity
Within just a few days, the boxes began to fill up rapidly. Students brought in books from home and even organized mini-collections in their neighborhoods. By the end of the first week, over 20 boxes had been filled, with grades closely competing and scheming to come out on top.
Photo capturing the early momentum of the drive, with books beginning to fill the grade-level boxes and signs of strong community engagement already evident. The faculty initially held the lead strongly.
A more crowded and colorful view of the donation area one week in, reflecting a growing stack of book-filled boxes as enthusiasm for the drive continued to build. Tallies were kept of the number of boxes of books donated. The 9th grade took the lead with a massive donation from Wyatt Kelly ’28, ultimately leading to the 9th grade’s win.
Final Day & Drop-Off
By the end of the drive, the ninth grade and faculty emerged victorious with 584 and 485 books respectively, earning their dress-down day privileges. The entire community rallied together, and all 36 boxes were delivered by Torben Heinbockel and the club to the Maryland Book Bank just before spring break. The organization recognized St. Paul’s with a public thank you and praise for the impact made.
Torben Heinbockel, student leader of the drive, stands beside the completed donation display at St. Paul’s Upper School. The boxes are stacked and labeled, showcasing the impressive total collected by the end of the drive.
Torben Heinbockel, joined by a few fellow students, loads the final boxes of donated books into one of two cars bound for the Maryland Book Bank in Baltimore. The image captures the teamwork and excitement of the culminating step in the drive, as the students prepare to bring their impact beyond the school walls.
Torben poses under the large Maryland Book Bank sign during the official drop-off, marking the conclusion of the drive and the moment of delivery to the nonprofit.
Torben stands proudly next to the 36 boxes of books collected by St. Paul’s, now stacked at the Maryland Book Bank facility, ready to be sorted and shared with under-resourced communities in Baltimore.
The final results were as follows:
- Grade 9 – 584 books
- Faculty – 485 books
- Grade 10 – 306 books
- Grade 11 – 52 books
- Grade 12 – 38 books
While all groups made meaningful contributions, Grade 9 and the Faculty emerged victorious and earned their well-deserved dress-down days. “This showed how much service is part of our culture,” said Heinbockel. “Even when it started as a competition, it ended in a huge show of unity and care.”
The lobby of the Upper School became a hub of energy as students monitored the live leaderboard, motivated their peers, and rallied last-minute donations. Students from each grade, including help from SPSG peers, worked hard to support the cause. In the end, the drive showed just how much can be accomplished when service and school spirit go hand in hand.
Just before spring break, members of the Service Learning Council delivered all 36 packed boxes directly to the Maryland Book Bank. The organization responded with gratitude, leaving a warm comment on the school’s Instagram post: “Thank you! 📖❤️” The school’s post celebrating the initiative reached hundreds, and read in part:
“Thanks to our Upper School Service Learning Council and the generosity of Crusader students, faculty, and families, St. Paul’s collected a total of 36 boxes of books for the Maryland Book Bank… This student initiative, spearheaded by Service Learning Council Student Leader Torben H. ’26, will provide books to support literacy and education for Baltimore’s youth and elder communities, exemplifying our school’s core values of leadership and service.”
“This wasn’t just about books,” said Heinbockel. “It was about living out our school’s mission, supporting the wider Baltimore community, and showing that leadership doesn’t always mean being the loudest—it means making things happen.”
Book Drive Quick Stats
📦 36 boxes donated
📚 1,465 books total
🏆 Grade 9 and Faculty won free dress-down days
📍 Donated to: Maryland Book Bank
📸 Featured on: @stpaulsschoolforboys Instagram
💬 Maryland Book Bank: “Thank you! 📖❤️”
Beyond Books: A Year of Service
The Book Battle was just one of several initiatives led by the Service Learning Council this year. Students also launched a food drive, collecting pantry items for local shelters. A sports equipment drive followed, in partnership with our sister school, allowing us to collect an even greater amount of gear for youth athletics in the city.
To better coordinate and communicate these efforts, the Council created a dedicated email address for all club communications and outreach. Additionally, they launched a new Instagram account (@sp.servicelearning), which shares schoolwide updates, upcoming service drives, and local volunteer opportunities for students. These tools have helped centralize and streamline communication across the Upper School, strengthening the council’s leadership presence on campus.
The Service Learning Council continues to serve as a beacon of integrity and compassion at St. Paul’s. With leadership from students like Torben Heinbockel, the Council ensures service is not only a core part of our mission but a lived experience that inspires real change in the community.
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