Recognizing that one person can make a difference has long been a part of the Community School’s philosophy. Through community service, students have an opportunity to see and exercise the power they have to initiate change and improve the lives of others.

By giving of their time to help individuals and organizations in need, students not only improve the quality of life in their community, but also build a personal sense of accomplishment and belonging as they recognize their important role in the community’s success. Community service is an important part of the Middle and Upper School experience. While community service is not required, we strive to have 100% participation by the Middle and Upper School faculty and student populations each school year. Awards recognizing students’ volunteer participation are presented at the end of each year. More importantly, it is our hope that the personal rewards that come from performing community service will lay the groundwork for a lifetime of helping others.


Community Service has been a tradition at Community School since its beginning. The community service program was started to show community spirit. It evolved from student work squads, to a rigorous program committed to service in the larger community. Initially, one service credit was required for graduation, achieved by “assisting faculty, tutoring or volunteering.” Later, 80 hours or more of community service qualified a student for one elective credit towards graduation. While community service is no longer a graduation requirement, it has become an important part of our school culture.

Community Service:
• Is not performed for compensation. • Students cannot gain monetarily, nor can they gain ‘credits’ from a school or organization for community service. Additionally, community service arranged and required by any organization the student is a part of will not qualify. This includes community service activities done at Community School, like community service day in the Upper School, the 9th grade service/learning trip or Middle School Enrichment.
• Is performed on behalf of a governmental institution or a non-profit organization. Service volunteered for private businesses does not qualify.
• Contributes to at least one person (not a family member) in the greater community.
• Is done outside of scheduled class time.
• Can be earned during a weekend or weeklong experience (such as building houses in Mexico) but cannot be earned for those hours spent traveling, sleeping, etc.

In order to qualify for an award, at least half of the hours volunteered must be completed in the greater community. One cannot gain a community service award by merely performing school service.

We encourage all our students to participate in giving to others in the larger community as part of being a true Cutthroat!

For more information, please contact Melissa Elkins at  melkins@communityschool.org.