Service Learning

At the Primary School, students are introduced to service learning in a variety of ways. All Units of Inquiry include an action component, where students reflect and take appropriate actions; often, these actions take the form of community service. Students have helped to organize clothing and book drives for those in need; they have created bags of necessities to pass out to people experiencing homelessness in the DC area; they have raised money for UNICEF during their annual “Trick or Treat for UNICEF” each October; they have examined some processes at school and proposed changes that would benefit the environment. Additionally, a key component of the Grade 5 Exhibition is each team’s creation of an action plan they can implement as a result of their investigations.

In Grades 6-8 there is no specific community service requirement, but efforts are integrated into the curriculum and students are encouraged to pursue service interests outside of class. For example, Grade 6 students partner with students at Marie Reed Elementary School for Reading Buddies once a month, while Grade 7 students spend at least two days during the year volunteering at local organizations, such as DC Central Kitchen, the Tregaron Conservancy, Capital Area Food Bank, and Seabury Resources for the Aging. Students in Grade 8 have the option to enroll in an elective called LearnServe, where they create an organization (including a mission statement and business plan) that will help improve their community in a meaningful way.