Home Program Service Learning
Every Park Day School grade participates in service learning programs that connect students to the world beyond our campus.
The most impactful learning experiences at Park Day happen when classes go out into the community to work alongside fellow changemakers. By providing opportunities within the curriculum for students to witness and understand the needs of others, we hope they will learn the power of social responsibility and carry it with them their whole lives.
Every grade participates in service learning programs that connect students to the world beyond our campus. With long standing relationships with local organizations, including other schools, non-profits, and volunteer groups, Park Day students are able to create real and lasting change through ever deepening partnerships. Volunteering helps our students learn what it means to be active citizens within their society. Collection drives and other community partnerships give them ways to help others, while broadening their sense of the world.
Every project and service experience includes classroom discussion and advance preparation, community reflection, and student-generated opportunities to extend the learning after the project has ended.
Students learn about oak trees and their role within a watershed. Through our 10+ year partnership with EBMUD Watershed Stewardship Program, students collect acorns and raise oak saplings to plant in East Bay restoration areas.
Students learn about being compassionate members of the wider community. Through our partnerships with UNICEF, Family Support Services of the Bay Area, and Oakland International High School, students are involved with buddy programs and lead schoolwide campaigns to support our partner organizations.
Students learn how to actively support literacy in the wider community. Students lead a school-wide book drive each year for an K-5 OUSD school. Each year the students collect, sort and deliver over 1000 books.
Students learn how to actively support healthy ecosystems. Through our partnerships with Golden Gate Audubon, East Bay Regional Parks and Save the Bay, students are in the field actively engaged in bird habitat restoration work, as well as advocacy work inside the classroom.
Students learn how to design and build something useful with a partner from another school. This partner build project is also a collaboration between the Mosaic Project, our Community Outreach and Service Learning program and the Design+Make+Engage program.
Students experience the positive impact their volunteerism has in the community. Students volunteer regularly at the Alameda Community Food Bank sorting fresh fruits and vegetables for various distribution sites.
Students learn how parks and green spaces contribute to a healthy community. Students help with park clean-up, playground equipment care and general stewardship of Frog Park in the Rockridge-Temescal greenbelt throughout the school year.
Students learn how they can actively support systems and organizations that help the larger community. Students volunteer with their advisory group at a community partner site three times over the course of the school year during our Advisory Service Days.