NATCHEZ &045;&045; Trinity Episcopal seniors got a mini-lesson in government, finances and community service Monday during a field trip to many of Natchez’ non-profits.

The group of 21 traveled around town with Head of School Delecia Carey for stops at the Natchez Senior Citizen’s Center, The Sunshine Shelter, The Boys and Girls Club and the Natchez Humane Society.

Directors at each organization told the students what the agency’s mission is, how it is governed and funded and how many workers and volunteers work there.

The field trip was the kick-off to the students’ service learning project, a new requirement for seniors at the school starting this year.

The students, who already must complete 18 hours of community service a semester, will have to spend nine of those hours working on their project. The students must pick an area of need in the community and develop a system of helping in that area, Carey said. She said the idea of the project was to get the students into more substantial community service.

The field trip was designed to give the students an idea of what kind of help was needed.

&uot;To get a feeling for how these agencies really operate,&uot; Carey said. &uot;And to see what needs are there.&uot;

Though the highlight of the day was probably playing with puppies and kittens at the Humane Society, several students said they planned to work with children for their projects.

&uot;Probably the Boys and Girls Club,&uot; Kayce Whittington said. &uot;I like children and I want to teach.&uot;

Cap White and Scott Hanson also said they were interested in working with the Natchez Children’s Home or the Boys and Girls Club.

&uot;I like kids,&uot; White said, even though the field trip didn’t include any children since school was in session during the visits.

Hanson said he’d done community service work before and knew there were things to learn from it.

&uot;It’s an experience,&uot; he said.

At the Humane Society, Pat Cox of the board of directors, told the students that between 60 and 70 percent of the animals brought in each month are put to sleep. She invited the students to come out in the afternoons to work with the animals.

&uot;They could bathe them or brush them or walk them,&uot; Cox said. &uot;There’s just not enough hands to get it done here. There is always a need for help.&uot;