Eighth grade students completed presentations Friday tackling global issues including poverty, energy consumption, gender inequality, and other United Nations Sustainability Goals - all with the hope of improving their community and the world.
Social Responsibility
The goal of our social responsibility program is to encourage students to engage in activities that teach leadership, principles of service to the community, and personal responsibility. We help students develop character dispositions such as empathy, patience, integrity, humility, open-mindedness, confidence, and courage, so they can understand and act on local and global issues.
This emphasis on social responsibility allows teachers to incorporate service learning, classroom instruction and meaningful community service, into the curriculum. Service learning activities help students use critical thinking to suggest potential solutions to some of the challenges in our society. Students also reflect on their personal ability to influence change.
Programs & Activities
LOWER SCHOOL
Social responsibility is emphasized in Lower School through the use of the First Steps, Responsive Classroom, and Covey’s 7 Habits curriculums. Activities include making cards for hospitalized children, Mitten Tree contributions, letters to overseas pen pals, visits to retirement homes, and participation in food, clothing, and book drives for local agencies.
MIDDLE SCHOOL
In 2009 Providence Day established a partnership with JH Gunn Elementary School. Throughout the year, PD middle school students spend time at JH Gunn reading to young children, getting to know new friends through letters, teaching about famous historical figures, and helping public school teachers create a learning environment in their school halls. This relationship has helped to integrate meaningful community service with instruction and reflection to enrich the learning experience, teach civic responsibility, and strengthen community ties.
UPPER SCHOOL
In Upper School, social responsibility is integrated throughout the curriculum and demonstrated through participation in various student clubs. Guest speakers in assemblies share knowledge on digital citizenship, global citizenship, and character education. Grade specific projects include the three-day program on poverty awareness for freshmen. In addition, students may participate in service learning trips to South Africa or Costa Rica.
Social Responsibility News
Upper schoolers in English teacher Christine Marshall's class embarked on a recent experiment to see what it's like to survive on less than $2 a day, a measure frequently evoked to describe the global poverty line.
