Eight years ago, Riverdale Country School got rid of the “community service” hourly requirement for Upper School students, discontent with the insincerity that came with a time-based requirement. The purpose of this change was to avoid the mentality of checking a box that came with a community service requirement and instead to shift the language to “service learning” in order to emphasize student learning and self-reflection. The Upper School continues to hold gradewide service experiences, including the Breakfast with Santa with Little Sisters of the Assumption (LSA) for the senior class, the Best Buddies Prom with the junior class, the Citymeals Partnership with the sophomore class, and varied experiences for the ninth-grade class. These experiences allow for a continuation of service learning throughout each student’s high school career, where the experience of engaging in a service learning activity as a grade fosters a sense of community and understanding as well. The Upper School also continues to focus on service learning with the same organizations, allowing the Riverdale community to not only deepen these relationships, but also get involved with a wide variety of service opportunities through various clubs and other experiences in the local community. 

I believe that Riverdale’s current rules regarding service learning should stand, but opportunities and achievements should be shared more extensively. Usually, all students need is a push to take initiative and integrate their passions into new service learning projects. Specifically, the different organizations that Riverdale is associated with should be more accessible to students in a more organized fashion, and there should be extensive communication regarding new service learning opportunities, as different organizations tend to catch students’ eyes and possibly open them up to new interests. 

A fantastic way to do this would be creating a website or document that lists current service learning opportunities and a list of contacts to help students get started. Teachers are already very helpful. For example, Ms. Rachel Klein, Director of Service Learning, frequently offers community service opportunities via email. Nevertheless, something as organized as a website could facilitate students taking the first step. Additionally, the faculty and students should be encouraged to publicly share the service learning opportunities which they partake in, as they can inspire other students. 

A great example of students taking initiative is Take Action Inc., an organization started by senior Ishikaa Kothari and freshman Eshaan Kothari. Take Action Inc. is a nonprofit organization which inspires high school students to dive into activism opportunities and create a platform for sharing new service learning and mentorship opportunities for students. This organization is inspiring to many, especially because it was started by high school students. Eshaan and Ishikaa are perfect examples of students pursuing their genuine interest in an extraordinary manner, but the question is, how would a service learning requirement have changed their movement? 

Eshaan explained, “The fact that my activist work was not school-mandated enhanced its quality as well as my motivation to actually take action. Most of the time, school assignments impose numerous guidelines and parameters—all things that limit creativity and passion.” Having a service learning requirement based on a number of hours makes the process feel like an obligation, which further limits students’ creativity. Eshaan’s story illustrates how important self-motivation is to larger movements like these, and how the inspiration coming from another peer makes service learning more meaningful as a whole. 

Ms. Klein confirmed Riverdale’s approach to service learning. “In high school, requiring a certain number of hours did not jive with Riverdale’s mission of changing the world for the good,” she said. She continued to discuss how a certain number of hours could clash with students’ passions, and also their understanding of the purpose of service learning. Furthermore, with an “obligation,” students are more inclined to get their service over with, which diminishes the purpose of truly connecting with others. Although these pre-selected service opportunities still have a vital impact on our community, students may feel discouraged from pursuing their specific passions when helping others. Riverdale’s current policy is great for that reason, but sometimes, students lack the information to inspire them to start a service project of their own. Therefore, the extension and organization of other service learning projects and opportunities would direct many students to make a difference in many communities, while also enhancing their learning experience.