Service Learning
Hands, Hearts, and Minds in Action
At Heathwood Hall, Service Learning is an essential part of the student experience, connecting classroom lessons with real-world impact. Through age-appropriate projects and partnerships with local organizations, students learn the value of empathy, responsibility, and active citizenship. These hands-on opportunities foster a deeper understanding of community needs while inspiring students to become compassionate leaders who make a difference.
What Sets Our Program Apart
- Reciprocal Learning: Students don’t just give—they learn. Each project pairs hands-on service with research into the history, causes, and local organizations addressing issues such as hunger, poverty, disability inclusion, and veterans’ support.
- Developmentally Aligned: From Early Childhood through Upper School, projects grow in complexity, ensuring that service remains meaningful and age-appropriate.
- Community Impact: Students log thousands of volunteer hours annually, partnering with nonprofits across the Midlands and beyond.
Service by Division
Early Childhood & Lower School
- Guided by Chaplains and counselors, young students practice empathy through age-appropriate drives and collections—food for Harvest Hope, candy for deployed troops, and school supplies for children in need.
Middle School
- Through partnerships with Harvest Hope and the Souper Bowl of Caring, students study hunger, food deserts, and related data while engaging in hands-on relief efforts.
Upper School
- Each student completes 20+ service hours per year, choosing causes that resonate with them.
- Johns Island Service Project: For more than 30 years, seniors and faculty have spent three days restoring homes for residents in need—a powerful capstone experience before graduation.
Recent Highlights
- Gills Creek Clean-Up: 52 volunteers removed 1,200 lbs of trash.
- Harvest Hope Food Drive: 2,232 lbs of food → 1,860 meals.
- NJHS Diaper Drive: 16,071 diapers donated.
- Red Cross Blood Drive: 25 units—potentially saving 75 lives.
- Deck the Hall 5K/2K: $5,000+ raised for Camp Cole & Johns Island Project.
- Salvation Army Battle of the Bells: 100+ volunteer hours, $1,500 raised.
- Hudson’s Heroes: 400 food boxes packed for families.
- Turkey Trot: Middle Schoolers raised $13,000 for Harvest Hope.
- Presidential Service Awards: 28 students honored for 100+ annual volunteer hours.
Service learning at Heathwood Hall shapes students into thoughtful leaders who understand the needs of their communities—and are eager to meet them with empathy, knowledge, and action.