The Country School’s Helping Others, Helping Ourselves program is a community service program that involves all grades in the school. Through our Helping Others, Helping Ourselves initiatives, we hope that children will more fully learn the importance of being a part of something bigger than themselves, that a part of individual human responsibility is to help others, and that seemingly small, every day actions matter and can make a tremendous difference. We want children to develop greater empathy, learn about the importance of long-term commitment and follow through, understand that material goods aren’t everything, and that by helping others, we also help ourselves.
Our teachers work with our students to discern meaningful projects that work toward these goals. The children take a significant role in shaping each grade level or advisory group’s efforts. Activities are hands-on and ongoing in nature. They build long term relationships with people and organizations in our community, and promote active involvement. Projects evolve over time.