Community Service

Community outreach stands as a core value at Germantown Academy, 并通过我们全校社区服务组织(CSO)的努力得到了深思熟虑和不断的证明。.

由深受爱戴的高中老师Peter McVeigh于1986年创立, CSO教会了一代又一代的GA学生睁开眼睛看世界的重要性，并向有需要的人伸出援助之手.

使服务工作具体化是将社会意识从抽象概念转化为日常实践的一个关键方面. The more students can see the impact of their service, the more easily they stretch themselves to help others. When students reflected on service, they stated, "(service) should be local, personal, and teach you something about yourself."

公民社会组织一直是同情的支柱，并通过努力统一跨部门的服务项目而变得更加强大. 最具影响力的学校公民社会组织的努力之一是假期计划, 它将整个GA社区聚集在一起，在12月下旬提高对当地非营利组织的认识，并用音乐和阅读来庆祝这个季节. Each student is asked to contribute a gift, 然后由公民社会组织成员分发给五个为费城地区儿童服务的慈善组织. The community collects nearly 1,300 gifts each year.

Student leadership is also crucial to developing a culture of service, as students demonstrate to their peers the benefits of volunteering. For two weeks in November, 342面美国国旗自豪地矗立在科曼家庭馆前，以纪念每一位在第一次世界大战中服役的佐治亚大学学生. School archivist Dr. 1986年的马克·拉巴克(Mark Rabuck)领导了这项工作，他发现了1919年版的Ye Primer(学校的年鉴)，上面列出了每位退伍军人的名字，甚至还列出了他们获得的奖章和住宿. This was the perfect project to begin, during the 100th anniversary of the Great War, 让学生与GA的过去联系起来，并认识到今天服务的人的重要性.

The Thanksgiving Food Drive, a cooperative effort between CSO and the Parents’ Committee, is a school-wide collection of more than 5,000 pounds of food. 捐赠的食物被分发到费城北部的希望圣母教堂和安布勒的马蒂·迪克森社区橱柜, proving that caring starts locally.

“CSO是学生们了解GA围墙之外世界的好方法," All-School CSO Coordinator Anthony Commale said. “我们的孩子正在了解很多其他人的情况，包括他们这个年龄的孩子. 我认为这有助于提高他们的情商、同理心和领导潜力."

GA已经建立了几个合作伙伴关系，向学生展示志愿服务组织的力量，如当地庇护所和面对面日耳曼, which is a multi-service organization that offers dining, health and hygiene, and other services. 中学参加了一个服务日，七年级和八年级的学生在Mercy Hospice和whowho Gospel Mission等地方提供陪伴和帮助. Buddy Day, a partnership with Silver Springs Martin Luther School, 哪一个服务于经历情感和行为挑战的学生, brings students together on GA's campus.

As GA continues to prioritize service to the community, we also emphasize taking care of our environment.

GA's Nature Program, coordinated by Upper School Science teacher Sarah Kesten, 强调尊重和爱护校园内的自然和人造绿地, such as the Wissahickon Creek, The Preserve, and the Green Roof and Apiary. GA甚至在校园里有几个菜园，生产食堂用的食物. 学校每年都会举办“保护日”来庆祝其户外空间，以突出其自然栖息地.

Each division has a Green Ambassadors group, where students and faculty maintain the grounds with weeding, planting, and cleanup, and act as tour guides during Preserve Day. The GA Environmental Awareness group (GAEA) in the Upper School, focuses on earth-conscious initiatives like, reusable water bottles, and composting.

这并不奇怪，GA的学生有这样的嗜好奉献自己的时间. 在服务方面，GA家长和校友都是优秀的榜样. The Parents' Committee has run the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service for more than a decade, 以及校友公民社会组织的活动，比如在费城的Habitat House或在华盛顿的食品银行提供帮助, DC, Seattle, and Chicago continue to draw graduates together for a good cause.

From the youngest student to alumni and everyone in between, 照顾好我们周围的人和世界是我们学到的最重要的一课.