Our Mission Statement Public and community service is integral to the educational mission of Phillips Academy. In accordance with the school's motto, non sibi (not for self), the Phillips Academy Community Service Program strives to:

• promote and provide structured opportunities for students, staff and faculty to engage in public service;
  
• foster collaborative relationships with individuals, organizations and schools that address problems and build upon assets of local and global communities;
• connect academic learning to community problem solving through the development of service-learning courses across disciplines;
• inspire responsibility and personal growth by supporting volunteers, encouraging student initiatives and providing a comprehensive Leadership education project; and
• motivate students to consider and act upon issues of social justice and civic responsibility and thus foster a commitment to a lifetime of effective participation in public life.

-written by the 1997-98 student coordinators
and faculty advisory board.

Involvement in Phillips Academy's Community Service Program has only one requirement: commitment. Once a volunteer agrees to participate in a project, he or she is expected to fulfill this commitment like any other obligation on campus. Each project involves an agency that depends on volunteers, whether tutoring a child, preparing a meal, supervising a field trip or constructing part of a house. Our volunteers are needed to make their operations run smoothly; in fact, some projects rely solely on Phillips Academy volunteers to function at all.

This project is intentionally voluntary. Participants choose their projects and their time commitments. To help volunteers make these choices, information is available from any of the student coordinators and community service staff. Students who are involved in other extracurricular activities must make sure those commitments will not interfere with full involvement in their community service project. For especially challenging projects, volunteers interview with the community service staff before being placed in an agency.

Though students who miss their community service commitment do not receive a formal unexcused absence (or "cut"), agency coordinators generally request that students with two unexcused absences from their projects not continue. In case of emergency or illness, it is imperative for volunteers to notify both the agency and the Community Service Program as soon as possible. With prior notification, agency coordinators, in conjunction with the project staff, are usually able to make alternative arrangements.

As with any endeavor, consistent and steady work provides the best learning opportunities for the participant, the most productive worker for the agency, and the optimal context for meaningful relationships to develop. These are the goals of Phillips Academy's Community Service Program, and we expect our volunteers to commit to them.

National Service Learning Leader School

Sponsored by the Corporation for National Service, the National Service-Learning Leader School program recognizes outstanding middle and high schools for their exemplary integration of student service into the curriculum and life of their schools.

A National Service-Learning Leader School must demonstrate service-learning that enhances student learning, addresses the needs of the community, is well integrated into the life of the school, and is designed to foster civic responsibility. To become a National Service-Learning Leader School, a school must apply to a state-level review panel which selects the state's national nominees. Each nominee prepares a portfolio demonstrating its excellence in service-learning. The portfolios are then screened at the national level by a peer review panel that recommends up to 100 middle schools and 100 high schools to the Corporation for National Service.

Schools recognized at the national level will receive Presidential recognition and other rewards. More importantly, Leader Schools will receive the honor of serving as models of excellence and will encourage and assist other schools in making service to the community an important part of their curriculum and culture. Phillips Academy was recognized as one of the inaugural 70 Service-Learning Leader Schools in 1999.

National Service-Learning Leader Schools are charged with being active winners for two years. Leader Schools will share their work, experience, and knowledge with other schools seeking to initiate or strengthen service-learning. If you are interested in learning more about this program or in receiving assistance from a current leader school, please contact Chad Green (978-749-4139 or cgreen@andover.edu).

Other Massachusetts schools selected include Drury High School in North Adams, Hudson High School in Hudson, and Sharon High School in Sharon.

Andover.edu and Community Service

The Phillips Academy Community Service Web Page is designed to be a user-friendly extension of this "Purple Book," complete with photos, updated information on specific projects, and a wealth of service, community and leadership-related links. The page can be found under the "Academics" title, in the "Community Outreach" section.

The community service program also takes advantage of the resources available on PAnet, the school's intranet system. Students and faculty members are able to discuss their community service experiences in guided electronic discussions and post news and announcements campuswide.