Social Awareness and Action

The Community Service Corp is the student-run club; leaders are elected by peers. The CSC has both Upper and Middle School divisions, and many programs are intra-divisional and often include Lower School participation. 

The CSC works with community partners to provide hands-on assistance and fundraising. Partners include Nutritional Development Services, Days for Girls: Project Ensonga, Cradles to Crayons, Our Closet in Your Neighborhood, Mothers’ Home, Circle of Hope Outreach, Multiple Sclerosis Society, and Surrey Services, among others. 

Lower School students also engage in service, developing awareness on social issues and turning information into action. With their teachers, students identify local non-profits and service organizations and plan fundraisers such as bake sales and walks. An emphasis on stewardship of the Earth’s resources is supported by soft plastics collections and care for our campus Wetlands.

Rooted in the Goals and Criteria with an emphasis on Goal III, Network Summer Service Projects provide Upper and Middle School students with immersive learning experiences that promote the inherent dignity of all humans and deepen students' understanding of service to others.

Students from the 25 Network Schools come together to examine varying social justice issues and consider different world realities. These programs encourage critical analysis, informed action, and civic responsibility through direct service, advocacy, proximity, and community partnerships. Participants step outside their daily routines and live simply.

A selection of recent Network Summer Service Projects include: Acadiana to Zydeco: A Glimpse into New Orleans in New Orleans, H2O Go! An Aquatics Specialty Project in New York City, Juvenile Justice in Chicago, Indigenous Environmental Justice and Sustainability in the Pacific Northwest, Seeking New Frontiers: An Exploration of Modern Immigrants' Experiences in Miami,  and St. Madeleine Sophie’s Center serving Adults with Developmental Disabilities in San Diego. 

Network students are invited to apply for the Network Summer Service Projects each winter. 

Upper School students have the opportunity to earn Goal III Distinction through an Independent Service Learning Project. Students conduct extensive research on a personally meaningful cause, develop a plan to create change, and share their findings and plan of action with peers.  Students develop research and writing skills and build leadership skills. The year-long project is supported by the Social Awareness and Action Coordinator. Students' work is acknowledged at the end of the academic year. 

Recent Independent Learning Projects include:  Accessibility of Playgrounds, The Connection Between Childhood, Homelessness and Education, Employment Opportunities for Neurodivergent, Young Adults Hunger in Philadelphia, and The Impacts of Climate Change on Water Ecosystems.