The biweekly Service Learning class is designed to help upper school students develop empathy, civic responsibility, and an understanding of how individuals and communities can respond to societal challenges. The course will begin with the planning and implementation of a school-wide coat drive, providing students with a concrete, age-appropriate entry point into service learning.

Through this initial project, students will explore social issues such as poverty, housing insecurity, and access to basic needs. Instruction will emphasize both the root causes of these challenges and the ways in which communities, organizations, and individuals work to address them.

Class time will be intentionally structured to balance learning and action. During the first class of each week, students will focus on building background knowledge through discussions, readings, activities centered on social issues, and empathy-building. The second class of each week will be dedicated to hands-on service work connected to the current focus area. Using the coat drive as a model, students will engage in organizing and implementing a response, including communicating with the school community, collecting donations, sorting items, and supporting distribution efforts.

In the fourth quarter, US students will transition to a more independent service learning experience. With guidance from Mr. Ingram and Mr. Duroe, students will research a societal issue of their choice, examine its causes and impacts, and propose or engage in a meaningful response. This culminating experience will allow students to apply the skills and understanding developed throughout the year in a self-directed and reflective manner.