Program OverviewAlong with its commitment to developing the intellectual and creative capacities of Fieldston students through the ethics program, work in service to others has been a long-held tradition at the school. Today, in order to graduate, Fieldston students must complete a minimum of 60 hours of documented community service earned either through individual volunteer activities or special elective courses.
Each year students choose from among hundreds of individual volunteer opportunities — from working in soup kitchens to assisting senior citizens, to helping turn out the vote, and more. The school's Community Service office serves as both a clearinghouse and referral agency for these volunteer placements. Students may choose to participate in the Community Service Learning Program, a series of elective courses designed to give students an inside look at the operations and organization of actual community service agencies and to develop and implement service project models of their own. The elective sequence begins in 9th grade with an Introduction to Community Service (ICS) course designed to acquaint the prospective volunteer to the wide range of non-profit service placements available in the NYC - Metropolitan area. By 10th grade, through participation in the Community Service Advisory Board Seminar (CSABS), students assume leadership roles in the design and execution of a community service project of group choice. In the 11th and 12th grade students may choose from several options which include continuing with the previously developed project to serving as advocate in either the community service learning sequence or engaging in research at a community service agency.
|