Service Learning

Life’s most urgent question is what are you doing for others?

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

The Princeton Day School mission statement notes, “In academics, athletics, the arts and service, we celebrate the pursuit of individual excellence and the spirit of collaboration that binds us together as a community.”

PDS Service Learning nurtures our students to become responsible global citizens. Service learning erases the “us” vs. “them” approach by facilitating authentic opportunities for developing empathy. At PDS, we support you as you investigate issues to gain a deeper understanding of various problems. You collaborate to develop action plans and build reciprocal partnerships, which leads to a greater sense of your agency in the world. The “us” vs. “them” becomes a collective “we.” As part of the Service Learning program, US students volunteer at least 50 hours across a wide spectrum of diverse pursuits and interests.

Current PDS families can view guidelines in the Parent Portal.

View Guidelines

Service Learning in the Lower School

Lower School students engage in several different projects throughout the year, which are chosen based on their accessibility to our younger students. Each project benefits a sector of our greater community with which our students identify.

Some examples include:

The Wrap-In: a children’s gift drive benefiting the One Simple Wish Foundation, a local organization that enriches the lives of foster children. Students wrap new donated presents in creative and sustainable ways with recycled materials.
Winter Woolies: a mitten, hat and scarf drive benefiting the Children’s Home Society of NJ, a local organization which “helps at risk infants, youths, and families achieve their potential.”
2nd grade student-created notecard sale, with proceeds benefiting an agreed-upon organization

Service Learning in the Middle School

Middle School students participate in Service Learning in their classrooms as they learn about issues and how to make a difference. Additionally, when students have personal initiatives they would like to launch, they are encouraged to become advocates first. Once they are advocates they are invited to share their findings with their peers. Advocacy is also an essential component of Service Learning.

Service Learning in the Upper School

A Service Learning Committee with co-heads, grade level representatives, and a faculty advisor are responsible for overseeing US projects. Service Learning projects are developed primarily through student clubs, advisory groups, and by individual students. Students respond to current events and identify programs or organizations which are in need of assistance. They work to raise awareness of a chosen issue and encourage other community members to take action to make a change, in addition to developing a plan for hands-on help, perhaps organizing a drive for essentials or a sale to raise funds as financial support. Periodically, informed speakers are brought to campus to raise awareness about the issues that are being addressed.

Upper School students are required to complete 50 hours of Community Service prior to graduation. These 50 hours may be completed at any time over the course of their four years in the US, and may be completed within the school community, as well as outside of school.

School-wide Service Learning

The entire Princeton Day School community comes together across divisions on several Service projects, including food drives and clothing drives.

A signature event which also spans all three divisions is Empty Bowls. Started in 1990, Empty Bowls is an international initiative to fight hunger that is personalized by organizations on a community level. At Princeton Day School, ceramics students make and donate bowls, and local restaurants provide soup. Guests to the event choose a bowl, and enjoy a simple meal of soup and bread. All of the proceeds raised are donated to address hunger in our local community. In 2021, Empty Bowls was reimagined to follow school safety protocols.

Learn more

Family Service Opportunities

Be sure to check your local libraries, soup kitchens, faith organizations, animal shelters, and assisted living facilities for additional service opportunities!

Volunteer Match
https://www.volunteermatch.org/
This organization is a clearinghouse for a wide array of volunteer opportunities with links to many experiences, both virtual and remote. Organized by zip code.

Arm in Arm
https://arminarm.org:
Contact: shariqm@arminarm.org

Children's Home Society of NJ
https://www.chsofnj.org/
Contact: Janet Matson 609-469-1957

Snipes Farm
http://snipesfarm.org/

HomeFront
https://www.homefrontnj.org/

The Watershed Institute
https://thewatershed.org/

Grow a Row
http://www.americasgrowarow.org/

Rolling Harvest
http://rollingharvest.org/volunteer-opportunities/

Trenton Area Soup Kitchen
https://www.trentonsoupkitchen.org/kids-volunteer/

Habitat for Humanity
https://www.habitat.org/stories/home-volunteering-activities-kids

Little Free Library
https://littlefreelibrary.org/

Activities that you and your children can develop or participate in

Lemonade Stand for Charity
Neighborhood Book Drives
Fun Runs/Walks
Neighborhood clean up
Yard sale for charity
Birthday party for charity - rather than traditional gifts, ask for gifts of support to your chosen organization